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Clean Energy Fuels (CLNE) Andrew Littlefair on Q1 2015 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (NASDAQ: CLNE ) Q1 2015 Earnings Conference Call May 11, 2015 4:30 PM ET Executives Tony Kritzer – Director-Investor Relations Andrew Littlefair – President, CEO & Director Bob Vreeland – Senior VP, CFO & Accounting Officer Analysts Eric Stine – Craig Hallum Capital Group Carter Driscoll – HC Winrate Rob Brown – Lake Street Capital Noah Kaye – Northland Capital Markets Andrea James – Dougherty & Company Pavel Molchanov – Raymond James & Associates, Inc Operator Greetings, and welcome to the Clean Energy Fuels First Quarter 2015 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only-mode. A brief question-and-answer session will follow the formal presentation. [Operator Instructions].As a reminder, this conference is being recorded. It is now my pleasure to introduce your host Tony Kritzer, Director of Investor Relations. Thank you, Mr. Kritzer. You may now begin. Tony Kritzer Thank you, operator. Earlier this afternoon, Clean Energy released financial results for the first quarter ending March 31, 2015. If you did not receive the release, it is available on the Investor Relations section of the company’s website at www.cleanenergyfuels.com, where the call is also being webcast. There will be a replay available on the website for 30 days. Before we begin, we’d like to remind you that some of the information contained in the news release and on this conference call contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Words of expression reflecting optimism, satisfaction with current prospects, as well as words such as believe, intend, expect, plan, should, anticipate, and similar variations, identify forward-looking statements. But their absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. Such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance, and the company’s actual results could differ materially from those contained in such statements. Several factors that could cause or contribute to such differences are described in detail in the Risk Factors section of Clean Energy’s Form 10-Q, filed May 11, 2015. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements or supply new information regarding the circumstances after the date of this release. The company’s non-GAAP EPS and adjusted EBITDA will be reviewed on this call, and exclude certain expenses that the company’s management does not believe are indicative of the company’s core business operating results. Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results. The directly comparable GAAP information, reasons why management uses non-GAAP information, a definition of non-GAAP EPS and adjusted EBITDA, and a reconciliation between these non-GAAP and GAAP figures is provided in the company’s press release, which has been furnished to the SEC on Form 8-K today. Participating on today’s call from the company is President and Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Littlefair; and Chief Financial Officer, Bob Vreeland. With that, I will turn the call over to Andrew. Andrew Littlefair Thank you, Tony. Good afternoon, everyone. And thank you for joining us. I am pleased to review our first quarter 2015 operating results with you today. We reported 75.2 million gallons delivered this quarter, up 27% from the 59.3 millions gallons we delivered in the first quarter of 2014. Revenue was $85.8 million in the first quarter versus $95.3 million a year ago. Revenue decreased primarily due to three factors. We had a $9.1 million in construction project that were essentially complete at the end of the first quarter, but the revenue cannot be recognized. And most of this money is in the bank so this is just a timing matter. Lower natural gas commodity prices which in turn affected our revenue by $3.7 million. And finally IMW was a challenge as we told you would be on our last call due to a global equipment slowdown resulting from declining oil prices. As well as the strength of the US dollar which impacted international sales? Despite all of these our margins increased $0.02 to $0.28 per gallon and because of the increased volumes our fuel sale revenues increased by $8.4 million. Despite the decline in oil, we continue to see significant investments across the entire natural gas vehicles industry. Just last week, I attended the alternative Clean Transportation Expo in Dallas and there were several major announcements that will continue to develop and strengthen the NGV industry. Rush Enterprises, the largest truck dealership network in the country announced a new venture to manufacture, sell and stall and service new light weight compressed natural gas fuel systems for class VI through VIII trucks. Cummins Engine Company and Agility Fuel Systems announced strategic partnership that will include hardware and software tech natural gas engines and Agility Fuel tanks. Cummins Westfort announced that it will begin testing their spark ignited natural gas engine which is capable of producing near zero Nox emissions years ahead of the 2023 PA requirement. Ford motor company announced that in 2016 the F150, the best selling vehicle in the country will come with gas prepped engine. And Ford Landi Renzo announced they will be offering new F150, F250 and F350 natural gas trucks after market. Power Solutions International acquired power train integrators which will give PSI much greater reach in the GM on road engine and platform capabilities. This will open new opportunities for them through freight line or GM and other OEM offerings. And last month Peterbilt introduced two new models LNG powered truck configurations to their line up of natural gas vehicles. One silver lining of this lower oil prices is that the industry is responded by working to reduce incremental cost in natural gas trucks. Partly due to our tank programs with Agility and Chart. In certain truck configurations we’ve seen tank and engine prices come down more than 25%. This is great news as it helping to drive adoption. Turning for the market to the specifics of Clean Energy, we made progress across all of our market segments in the first quarter. In trucking, Raven Transport is deploying 115 additional heavy duty LNG trucks. This is a great example of adoption from long haul multi state trucking customer. They will now be fueling a 184 LNG trucks at 14 Clean Energy stations in eight states throughout the South East. We signed an agreement with Potelco in Washington to fuel 75 heavy duty LNG trucks. We opened two additional truck friendly stations in Arizona and Kansas City to support 58 CNG trucks for seaboard transport. We signed an agreement with Dean Food to build a private CNG fueling station to fuel 64 trucks at their Oak Farms Dairy plant in Houston, Texas. We have also expanded our fueling agreement with Dillon Transport who currently operates over 200 CNG trucks and we expect their volume with us to triple year-over-year. And in our rough use market we are building a third CNG station for Burrtec Waste in California. We completed a new station in Tampa for Progressive Waste for their 75 new trash trucks and we are building a fourth CNG station for Waste Pro in Sanford, Florida to support their 90 new trash trucks. Led by our customers’ waste management and republic services, we believe the refuse industry is picking up the pace over previous year. We should build over 35 stations projects for our customers this year, a record number. And we expect a record number of trucks to be deployed. Currently, we feel about 8,900 trucks for our refuse customers each day. In a transit market, Dallas area rapid transit added 63 new CNG buses. They now operate a natural gas fleet of 568 buses in 232 para transit vehicles that fuel at the four stations we built for them. We built a private station for Torrance, California’s municipal fleet of 35 trash trucks and 29 transit buses. In our fleet services market we opened Orlando airport station which can accommodate vehicles ranging from passenger cars to buses to heavy duty trucks. Year-to-date we’ve completed 16 station projects for ourselves and our customers in our various market segments. Let me now spend a moment on IMW. As we mentioned on the last call we anticipated that they would be challenge in the first quarter. Some of that is due to the global decline in oil which soften their sales and some of that is due to the strength in US dollar. However, we have right sized the business and made significant product enhancements. We standardized our compressor design which will decrease our time to ship and make our manufacturing more efficient. So IMW was somewhat of a drag in Q1, it is getting better in Q2. There are still global demands and we recently receive orders from China, Vietnam, Eastern Europe, Canada and Mexico. IMW remains strategically important for us as we account for roughly 20% of their production for our own station builds. Turning now to our renewable fuels division. Last week UPS signed an agreement to purchase our Redeem branded renewable natural gas fuel at their stations in Sacramento, Fresno and Los Angeles. We estimate that these three stations will provide approximately 1.5 million gallons of renewable fuel annually to roughly 400 CNG vehicles that UPS has deployed in California. This was a significant step in the expansion of our Redeem business. As you know, we’ve been supplying redeemed all of our public stations in California since launching it about a year and half ago. Over the last six months, municipalities, universities and now UPS, the largest logistics company in the country have signed long-term deals to guarantee they will receive renewable natural gas that is rated 90% clean than diesel. This deal sends a strong message to the transportation industry. UPS continue to be leader in the deployment of natural gas vehicles with their recent announcements of increased orders of both LNG and CNG of over 800 tractors and 600 delivery vans. In fact, UPS is on record saying they haven’t purchased a diesel truck in the last two years. We sold 8.9 million gallons of Redeem in the quarter compared to 2.8 million gallons during the first quarter of last year. Redeem is nice a contributor to our margin and revenue and we continue to be very bullish on the growing an environmentally relevant business. Our new virtual CNG pipeline business NG Advantage has made solid progress. They are recently awarded a contract to provide compressed natural gas to international papers by Ticonderoga New York paper mill which we expect to add at least 5 million gallons this year. This is a significant opportunity for NG Advantage and we look to expand this business as new opportunities emerge to lower our customers’ fuel cost while meeting with their environmental goals. Our two stations that support NG Advantage accounted for over 4.7 million gallons combined in the first quarter. Regarding our CapEx plans for the year we are still on track to spend $38 million for Clean Energy and $21 million related to NG Advantage growth opportunities. Remember, this is down from $87 million last year. At the end of the first quarter, we had $220 million of cash and investments on the balance sheet. Overall, our core business is doing very well with growing volumes and expanding margins in relatively difficult environment. Although there was pressure on EBITDA this quarter, I want to reiterate that we still expect to be adjusted EBITDA positive for the full year. And with that I’ll turn the call over to Bob. Bob Vreeland Thank you, Andrew. And good afternoon, everyone. It is my pleasure to go over our financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2015. I’ll address some highlights as well as some of the challenges. The financial highlights of the first quarter fall under four areas. Volumes and the associated increased revenue, margin for gasoline gallon equivalent, SG&A spending and cash flow. The growth in volume of 27% over the first quarter of 2014 came from all of our sectors. The most notable growth coming from the following. The trucking increased 35%, refuse increased 24%, transit increased 14% and our industrial sector more than doubled. From a product standpoint, our fuel gallons increased 29% and our gallons associated with operating and maintenance services increased 28% compared to the first quarter of 2014. Revenues related to gallons delivered increased 15% or $8.4 million when comparing the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2014. Our margin per gasoline gallon equivalent was $0.28 compared to $0.27 in the first quarter of 2014 and compared to $0.26 in the fourth quarter of 2014. This gain in margin is attributed to product mix essentially more fuel gallons, declines in natural gas cost and additional RIN credits. Our SG&A spending remain under control at approximately $30 million for the quarter, an improvement of nearly 10% over year ago and flat with our most recent quarter. On cash flow, we collected all of our 2014 volumetric excise tax credit in March which contributed to our positive cash flow from operations of $20.9 million for the first quarter of 2015. As Andrew mentioned upward our cash and investments at $220 million at the end of March 2015. Now the challenges we face in a quarter were the anticipated lower revenue volume from IMW, the timing of revenue recognition on station sales and to a lesser degree the impact on revenue of price declines from lower commodity costs. IMW revenues were impacted by a slowdown in orders on the international front and the government sectors due to low oil prices and the strength of US dollar. Also when comparing IMW revenue between the first quarters of 2015 and 2014, IMW’s first quarter of 2014 was exceptionally strong due a large custom project in process at that time and other orders that carried over from 2013 which we knew would not be repeated in the first quarter of 2015. On our station sales we had three large station projects that did not meet our revenue recognition accounting requirements and thus will be recognized in the second possibly third quarter depending on certain external factors outside our control. This was about $9.1million in station revenue that was deferred outside the first quarter and which Andrew indicated as well, most of that’s been collected. On the price front, we will always have certain fluctuations in pricing. This first quarter saw some rather meaningful price declines, driven by the lower gas commodity cost. That impacted our top line revenue by $3.7 million when compared to 2014, although most of this did not drop down into our margin and due to the lower cost. Our adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2015was negative $5.6 million compared to negative $6.8 million in the same period in 2014 despite having $9.5 million less in revenue in the first quarter of 2015 versus 2014. We were positively impacted by our increased volumes and steady margin per gallon between the periods and negatively impacted by the lower station sales in IMW revenue. We expect quarterly adjusted EBITDA to improve as we continue to leverage our station and cost infrastructure and grow volumes. We still expect to be positive adjusted EBITDA for 2015. From a balance sheet perspective the most notable change from December was the collection of volumetric excise tax credit. We also have done some financing of capital expenditures principally CNG trailers supporting our industrial sector namely NG Advantage. Now we generally get a question on our convertible notes coming due at the end of August, 2016 in the amount of $145 million. As a reminder, these notes are payable in cash or common stock at our election. We continue to actively address these notes and we are evaluating a variety of alternatives. In addition to the equity aspect available, we also have over $500 million in encumbered long-term asset along with our own internally generated cash as we look forward towards positive EBITDA and a possibility of further VETC or asset sales. The key takeaway here is we are actively addressing this matter and we have a variety of choices. Our goal is to satisfy the notes in an effective manner while maintaining adequate cash and operational flexibility beyond August 2016. And with that operator, we will open the call to questions. Question-and-Answer Session Operator [Operator Instructions] Our first question comes from the line of Eric Stine with Craig Hallum. Please proceed with your question. Eric Stine Hi, everyone. Wondering if you can just talk about what are you seeing from shippers in the market? What role that played in the Raven deal and what role that’s playing in some of the other contracts out there? Andrew Littlefair Yes, Eric. That continues. Just to — for our friends who maybe aren’t quite as familiar recall that shippers, we use that term to the companies like Procter and Gamble or MillerCoors, these are large consumer companies that may not have their own trucking fleet and they actually go out and hire contracting fleet — contacted carriers for them. And as you know we talked to dozens if not more than hundred of these companies trying to make sure they understand the sustainability games by natural gas and also that the cost of the fuel. And we do it now in a constructive manner with our trucker friend because obviously the shippers and the truckers are very close. And so we continue to see the shippers, Eric, move forward. Procter and Gamble as you know I think has 20% mandate in place for its carriers. Raven fit in their — they do some Procter and Gamble work as I think they also do some for MillerCoors. We have seen MillerCoors would be aggressive wanting to have hauling at a lot of their different breweries move this direction. Kroger has their own fleet but they are also been very aggressive. So we continue to see these shippers Colgate Palmolive, Home Depot and others. So I think it is going to be a bigger and bigger move because they are savings on the fuel and there is a great sustainability gains to be have. They wanted to do in a constructive manner with their hauler. They have to have good relations with their trucking company but on the other hand they pay for the fuel. So we continue to see the shippers move in this direction and work with their truckers. Eric Stine Got it, okay. And then on that Raven deal, I know that enabled to you — that was your anchor fleet to open another three to four stations. Just curios how that deal has — having those stations in place has changed conversations in that area of the country and just what you see going forward? Andrew Littlefair Yes. I mean I think to the extent that some people thought we obviously build lot of stations and didn’t have — we haven’t had them open yet because of the slower deployment of trucks and the kind of year delay in those trucks. But you know what the Raven is a perfect example. If we didn’t have those stations built right now they wouldn’t have made that deal, they wouldn’t have been able to make that deal and have those routes to satisfy the Procter and Gamble business. And so it totally changes the discussion and it means that right now as Raven begins to take those delivery of those trucks we are able to open these stations at our previously where we spent the capital and we are ready to open them in a matter weeks not in a matter of year if you have to build it from scratch. One other thing I think is important the Raven deal and of course these are LNG trucks. We are not– we have seen a lot of urban kind of regional haulers use compressed natural gas and we feel a lot of those, this is really one of the biggest deployments of real long haul trucks. These are irregular routes going over night, hitting many different cities and our network is able to accommodate that. So LNG is a very good fuel for that and I think that’s why Raven went with 150 LNG tractors. Eric Stine Got it. Maybe to sticking with LNG stations, you have now got a number of cold LNG tank solutions in the market for Spark ignited. Is that — are there actual instances where that enables you to open a station on 20 trucks versus kind of the historical levels more like 30 plus? Andrew Littlefair Yes. We in fact we have kind of altered our position where — this is for LNG of course, where we can open those station out with 20 trucks. And in fact we have done it with less, we’ve done it with 15. So which is nice because that is — that’s kind of in the wheelhouse in terms of the number of trucks that these guys are beginning to take and it allows to open stations. We’ve opened — in the first quarter we opened another four plus one mobile five, we opened actually a station Friday which adds to that number six and plus three more mobile fuelers. So we are able open them now for 20 trucks and as I said earlier we can open them in a matter of weeks when we are ready to go. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Carter Driscoll with HC Winrate [ph] Please proceed with your question. Carter Driscoll Hi, guys. How are you? First question just given the depressed prices for several quarters, I am sure maybe hopefully you are thinking the competitive environments maybe waned a little bit and obviously purchasing stations in the past, has your thinking changed there might be some strategic assets or stations in particular out there that you might be able to cherry pick or maybe even a group of stations and how that does or doesn’t fit in with your current CapEx plans and then obviously with the bullet payment you have due next August. Andrew Littlefair Well, right. And I think that the downturn in oil prices has probably put some strain on players that have few stations and then they might be a few truck friendly stations in a given region. We have a history of kind of take advantage of those opportunities when we see them. As you know we bought stations from SoCalGas Public Service Colorado, Lone Star Gas and Brooklyn Union Gas. So we made acquisition from time to time. I think you will see a couple of packages come up. I can’t say much more about that right now. We obviously have to weigh whether or not we think they are appropriately loaded or if they help our network, we have 257 stations that we own, I guess we actually co-own about 10 of those and then we operate another 301 so when you look at network, I think our next largest competitor maybe has 70 or 80. So if there will be occasions where there maybe an order to that will fit in nicely and if couple of these bigger packages comes up, we will look at them. You are right we have to weigh our cash and or stock prices and our ability to take that on. And we have to make sure that’s it is going to fit our network. Some of these smaller players and smaller stations, they might be situated at a convenient store; it doesn’t really fit our model. So we wanted to be careful on what we look at. Carter Driscoll Right. Now that makes lot sense. And then you have seen lot of — well you have seen some activity in terms of moving more towards the leasing model and trying to get maybe discount on the fuel or have it amortized within that leasing price. Can you update us on your efforts in that regard with your partnership? And then I have one more follow up if I may. Andrew Littlefair Okay. Well, you know we’ve been doing that for a long time. I mean you probably – I mean we actually did some of deals like that in fact Boone talked about it, did some with school districts 15 years ago. So this is something that we looked at for a long time. You know we have partnership, relationship with GE to do that. Of course that arm is for sale right now. But it’s business as usual. Our sales team and theirs are canvassing about 150 different fleets. We’ve had 46 different proposals from customers through GE lease with our field rep into that. We’ve actually made handful so better that I think about 10 of those deals have actually consummated. I think in the leasing scenario right now as you are looking at, at least what we saw little bit of GE with that with the down deep into the fuel price. It put some pressure on gas or diesel product to really scratch their head more and if they wanted to now go and leasing that for gas truck. But I think it is — one of our competitors recently announced deal like this. It is good way to go. There is enough fuel savings in there where you are really able to put somebody into a natural gas truck at a similar same price as a diesel truck where you offsetting the incremental and you are able to make it up with the fuel price over time with the fuel contract. So it makes a lot of sense and it is part of our package, our 80 sales men, they all have this is one of their tools in their bag and so yes we will see more of it. Carter Driscoll Okay. And then maybe if you could just give us an update on — well, maybe not an update but maybe your qualification of what you’ve learned with the NG Advantage structure right now? What’s been maybe ahead of schedule? What’s been maybe behind schedule? Or in terms of signing up customers, has that been faster or slower, maybe even kind of the average size of what you’ve done so far? I know it’s been relatively few in number so far but if you could just qualify how you’re performing in that –? Andrew Littlefair Yes. We are very pleased with NG Advantage. And even in this tighter oil environment versus fuel because we are competing with fuel oil mostly in that but we are still able NG Advantage is still able to offer 25% to 30% saving. So the international paper, this is different than the trucking business where there is thousands of fleets and millions of trucks all over the place. There is more defined geographic location and also there are only 10 or 15 international paper plants. So now they are huge consumers of fuel and we are very proud of that international paper deal because I mean in that one deal is 5 million gallons and so we are really very focus NG events of those type of customers. They are in the North East, they are in the Middle Atlantic and we are pleased the way that’s going. We’ve signed up several more customers since we acquired that business, fact you know it is a high class problem. We are getting ready to be out of capacity those two stations that we have one in New Hampshire, one in Vermont. We are going to add capacity to it. So we have high hopes for the way that business continues to develop. Carter Driscoll Okay. And maybe just squeeze in one more and I’ll ask kind of the ubiquitous question. From a trucking perspective, have you seen any noticeable shift between CNG and LNG? Is it really still more of a return to base focus for CNG and longer haul, more focused on LNG — do you still have that expertise — Andrew Littlefair Well, I still think that’s the case. I mean I have been clear, we like the way we are positioned because we do both. And I think right now we are at 70% LNG, I mean 70% CNG and 30% LNG. Obviously we had some big wins recently on a couple of LNG fleet. I do think that when you are in an urban environment, return to base, CNG is probably the right fuel. And when you are longer haul, over the road, irregular route, LNG is going to make a lot of sense for fleet. And so we are well positioned to do both. Lot of our truck friendly stations, about half of them now the ones that we both have CNG as well as LNG. So it is whatever the customer needs. But I think you are right, over time longer haul will probably shift little bit towards LNG and I think we turn to base in urban environment, it is pretty tough to compete with the CNG. I think that would be the preferred fuel. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Rob Brown with Lake Street Capital. Please proceed with your question. Rob Brown Good afternoon. On your Redeem business, what’s sort of your gallon capacity in that business? Can you continue to grow that sort of without limit? Or is there a limit there? Andrew Littlefair Well, if you ever heard our man who runs that business, Harrison Clay, he will tell you to, he will give you very large numbers. I mean if you look at the country and you look at digesters and agriculture and land fill, you can get to see very large numbers. I mean many tens of billions of gallon. So I think in fact I was talking with Boon about this about a week ago, he wondered how big could that business really be. It is pretty large. Now there will be certain areas where it will make more sense and maybe too far away from the transportation market or too far away from the grid to be able to put that fuel in. I think it can be very large. We expect to grow our Redeem business more than double at this year. And we are now bringing more of third party gas we ever before with certain deals that we are doing so we are bringing a lots of fuel. The advantage that we have over many others in this business is that we have the stations to be able to get this in the transportation fuel. So that’s give us a leg up. So we have some fairly large third party producers that are bringing this fuel and they want to get it to us to be able to get into our transportation network. That’s where you get the full value of this is to be able to do get on the land fill or get out of digester but get into the vehicle tank. We are uniquely positioned for that. So we are beginning to see more and more traction where for instance LAMTA is going out to look for Redeem at least 50 or 60 million gallons a year. So you are beginning to see fleets recognize the importance of being able to use really the cleanest commercial fuel available like in the country, in the world for that matter. So we like it. Our customers as evidenced by UPS and others like it and understand it. When they look at wanting to be sustainable, I know this sounds touchy feely when you start talking about sustainability but they are serious about it, these big companies. So it is one of the most impactful things they can do to hit their sustainability goals. And so, yes, it adds revenue for us and it adds nice margin for us. And our customers like it. Rob Brown Okay, great, thank you. And then you mentioned the Agility deal a little bit. Where are you at with that? How many sorts of trucks have you sold there? And how is that being received in the market and your customer? Andrew Littlefair Right. So just as everybody else Rob, we’ve made some we call them tank deals right. So we made some deals with Chart and Agility where we have been able to get some special pricing for Clean Energy customers. We pass that pricing on to the customers. We’ve — our first offering with the Chart was over subscribed and so we are moving on to the next tranche of LNG tanks there. Agility as you know it wasn’t signed as early as the Chart one. So we are just kind of getting going on that. But I’ll tell you what is one of the things I mentioned in my remarks is when you are able to really bring 20%, 30% out of the cost of the tank package, you get the customers’ attention. And it is meaningful and it really offset this reduction in the savings between diesel and natural gas. So it is really meaningful and I have no doubt that over the course — especially with this new deal with Cummins Engine Company. Agility that really makes this I think even a better offering. And I have no doubt that it will before the year is out we will make substantial progress on moving through all those tanks. Rob Brown Okay, good. And then last question just sort of big picture. What’s sort of your latest thinking on the penetration rate in the trucking market this year with the current commodity environment? I guess the refuse market as well? Andrew Littlefair Well, the refuse market, I am out of the business to predicting how many trucks right. So you are going to have to — if you want truck numbers you are going to get that from Cummins or somebody that’s little closer to it. We haven’t seen Rob a fall off. And in the fact that I think if you put in new big UPS order for the 2015, I think we are going to be all pleasantly surprised that it is holding up very well. We haven’t seen customers — that the few customers that we have that have been on the fence are still on the fence. And but the customers that, this 600 or 800 so that we have on our pipeline, we haven’t seen anybody run for the exits because of this, they know that price of oil and diesel is volatile. I think frankly we’ve already seen the price come up here in California diesel is about $3 and $0.30 some odd, the other parts of the country it is lower. Gasoline, is of course is up dramatically nationwide and here in California so we are seeing the price kind of come back. I really think that with these big investments that you have seen these companies and there are products that are available and more product offerings. I feel pretty good about the way that the adoption rate is going. We see more customers taking more trucks and we still have some that are starting out with the 10 or 15 but the Raven is a good example where they had 75 trucks, now they have taken another 115. They are talking about taking even more, deal in trucking are very good example. What UPS has done. You know, Ryder is quietly fielded 900 natural gas trucks and Penske I think it is up to a couple of hundred. So you are beginning to see these really major fleets continue to take trucks and so obviously much higher oil price and diesel price would probably give more acceleration to it. But I feel pretty comfortable that we are — it is going along pretty well. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Noah Kaye with Northland Capital Markets. Please proceed with your question. Noah Kaye Thank you for taking my question. Just wanted to follow-up on the question on Redeem. The RIN markets for Cellulosics that continue to be valuable, as you start to expand this part of the portfolio; can you talk a little bit about where your margins are at right now for Redeem? And how much of that is coming from the credits? Is there a way to think about that? Bob Vreeland Yes, well, I mean certainly part of that margin comes from the credit, probably go out get into exactly what that margin is but the thing is that with the Redeem those credit there is real market out there. That’s one of the things that we really seen driving this whole product line is that with the — being 90% cleaner to diesel and the whole renewable, sustainable environment, it is driving a lot of big players to say they want some of it. So that’s making the credits a very valid — there is a very valid fluid market for that and so it is kind of factors in there like we are doing most all of other fuel deals where we’ve got kind of cost of gas plus right. And so that factors into the equation. It is just — I can’t tell you exactly what that number is but it is meaningful. And it aligns with the flow of gas. So it is not kind of separate credit it is dangled out there. It is as we fuel those credits are generated. And so it goes right lock-toe in step with the flow of green gas as we call it. Noah Kaye And there’s plenty of runway in your view for the growth of biogas within that tranche of the RFS, correct? Bob Vreeland Correct. Yes, that’s one thing is that the supply — so the supply market is — there is definitely supply out there, absolutely. And it is plentiful. I mean there are a lot of landfills out there. They are producing a lot of methane they just going up in smoke and burning into the atmosphere. And so that’s where the supply is coming from. And we are a good taker of the supply because of our distribution network. Noah Kaye The methane has to be upgraded to your pipeline quality biogas, correct? Bob Vreeland Right. Noah Kaye So you are — but you believe that there’s plenty of biogas supply out there for takers? So is this basically a takers’ market for you right now? Or are you supply-constrained in any way? Bob Vreeland We are not supply constrained at the moment but I mean as folks realize that they are going to put kind of essentially on the same natural gas into whatever they are fueling, but yes this is renewable, truly renewable gas. 90% cleaner than diesel then all of a sudden it start to get pretty attractive. Now and so there is a lot of economics, it surrounds all that but for these clients are pretty substantial that you put on these landfills and dairies whatever it is to capture the stuff but the supply is growing. Andrew Littlefair Obviously, Noah, if you had for instance in this — in the California market or Southern California market, if the LAMTA which is the largest transit fleet in the United States, if they shifted over to bio-methane we would like to think for Redeem, that would be 60 million gallons right annually that we would show up. And so that would make a big impact on the availability. But right now there is a plenty of– there is plenty of supply available. It is more than what people would imagine. Noah Kaye Okay, great. Finally one unrelated question. You touched on NG Advantage and obviously the transportation market. Can you give us an update on the rail opportunity, what you’re seeing out there? Any major tenders coming? How would you kind of characterize that market opportunity? Andrew Littlefair Right. I think the rail opportunity is going to be very large. And as we’ve discussed on these calls before, it is a 3 or 4 billion gallon annual market with just a handful of players. I know one of the top tier players has 6,600 locomotives that on average use 800 gallons a day. So you are talking about significant usage and savings. What I can’t tell you is right now the two — the only two locomotive manufactures in the US are both bringing natural gas product to market. And three at least three may be four, but I know for sure three of the tier one rail companies are all in test. One of them are think is little further along than the others. Well, they are out actually on open track before different locomotives right now. So, yes, they are moving along of course these are long-lived assets; the locomotives are 30 years assets. So you are going to see a lot of the fleet be converted, I am told right now that they are feeling pretty comfortable they can get to 70% displacement i.e. they reduce 30% diesel and 70% natural gas. That’s significant savings. And so yes it takes a while, there is a Federal Railway Administration rules and there is a couple other groups they got to go through in terms of the LNG tank car tenders, but all of this is doable and all workable. And I think you will see the rails on next year or so begin to bring this into their fleet in a meaningful way. I think frankly it is going to go faster when it goes than the marine. Noah Kaye And you expect this will be an LNG opportunity rather than CNG? Andrew Littlefair Yes. It will be LNG. And just so unclear but we are not really allowed to say too much here. We are working with all those tier one firms right now. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Andrea James with Dougherty & Company. Please proceed with your question. Andrea James Hi, thanks for taking my questions. The gallons delivered were up nicely sequentially and year-over-year at a better mix. The question is how much of that is tied to some of the recent announcements you’ve made? Or I guess put another way what’s sort of the time between you announce something like the Raven or the most recent UPS deals and when it shows up in the numbers? Andrew Littlefair Well, I’ll let Bob, let me tell you what I think it is then Bob if he had some that– I am not quite familiar with so like the Raven, we haven’t seen any volume yet. We have some existing business with Raven but those new 115 haven’t been delivered yet. So it kind of depends I would say anywhere between — it kind of depends on what they’ve ordered and you are talking about from the time they are willing to let us announce or the fleets willing to announce by the time they receive a truck, that could be three or four months. Now the UPS, let me make a caveat there, the UPS volumes, those trucks are fueling already in Southern California and so that can start immediately. And when we made a recent– I don’t know that we have an announcement but we made recent addendum to our national fuel agreement with Dillon. Well, Dillon trucking is already running trucks and so now they are going to begin to use three or four of other stations, so that we’ll come on immediately. Well, when it is a new ground up they have to get those trucks, we may have to build the station and so there is lag, gradual, it is gradual Bob Vreeland So we will some of that but it doesn’t all hit at once but it is moving. Andrew Littlefair The other thing that we see is in just a little bit more mature entry is like refuse, there is a very established pattern of when they go before their companies and do their budgets and then they order their trucks. So when they begin to take delivery of the trucks, that’s why we always got to see a little bit of low over the winter time in the first quarter and they begin to — because they do their budgeting I think like September or something, then they begin to take all those trucks, begin to show up March through kind of the third quarter. So we seek kind of bulge coming on the refuse side. Andrea James And how many stations are you guys operating now? Andrew Littlefair Well, we operate over 500 to 700 I think. We only own about 257 and we operate about 300 Andrea James And America’s Natural Gas Highway, how many of those are open? Andrew Littlefair So there are about 40 as of few days ago, there are about 43 of those open right now. Andrea James And that’s double year-over-year? Andrew Littlefair Yes. Andrea James And how many are like kind of built but ready to go? Andrew Littlefair 50 Andrea James Okay, so you’re almost — you’ve almost — Andrew Littlefair We are making headway and we’ve got eight more that will be open, that already slated to be open by the end of August and then we have about another four that are kind of little bit — we are just waiting to sign those deals and there will be other issues. So I hope we can’t control this exactly. It is kind of depends on the adoption rate of the trucks. But I hope that over the course of the year we will get another 20 or so open so then we will be down to where we only have about 20 to go or so in that number. Andrea James Okay. And then forgive me this one; your diluted shares outstanding fell a little bit. Can you please remind us again what that’s tied to? Bob Vreeland It is exercise of options and how much you talked about? During this quarter or kind of from last year like the year-over-year? Andrea James Well, yes it was like little bit. Go ahead Bob Vreeland We had back and late 2014, we took out about 4 million shares related to a warrant with GE and just the accounting treatment was — we determined that — those shares wouldn’t be in our outstanding share so there was about 4 million that just kind of came out at the end of last year. So when you compare say this year to last year, you are seeing same quarter — you are seeing that fairly significant number come out of shares which was just kind of an accounting entry if you will. Andrea James Got it. And even sequentially, they’re down a little bit too? Bob Vreeland Yes. That’s just normal exercise activity, lot of options or not, yes. Operator Thank you. Our next question comes from the line of Pavel Molchanov with Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Pavel Molchanov Hi, guys. Thanks for taking the question. Of your volumes in Q1, how much came from NG Advantage? Andrew Littlefair What’s in the industrial? What’s your industrial number? Bob Vreeland Yes, close to 5 million, just little shy, probably over 5 million. Andrew Littlefair I think it is like 4.7 or — Pavel Molchanov Yes, okay. And that reflects a full quarter of your ownership or majority interest I should say? Bob Vreeland It does. Andrew Littlefair It does. Pavel Molchanov Okay. And on the — when I look at the income statement, the minority interest income that this quarter looks like the positive $380 million, I assume that — $380,000, I’m sorry. Yes, Indeed. That includes the debit for external owners of NG Advantage? Bob Vreeland Correct. That’s what it relates to. Pavel Molchanov Okay. And any other kind of variable interest entities in there? Andrew Littlefair No. Pavel Molchanov In that minority interest line? Andrew Littlefair Correct. Operator There are no further questions at this time. I’d now like to turn the floor back over to management for any closing or additional remarks. Andrew Littlefair Thank you, operator. And thank you everybody for joining us today. We look forward to updating you on our activities in the next quarter. Operator This concludes today’s teleconference. You may disconnect your lines at this time. And thank you for your participation.

Iberdrola’s (IBDRY) CEO Ignacio Galan on Q4 2014 Results – Earnings Call Transcript

Executives Ignacio Galan – Chairman & CEO Jose Sainz – CFO Francisco Martinez Corcoles – Business CEO Analysts Martin Young – RBC Carolina Dores – Morgan Stanley Javier Garrido – JPMorgan Securities Stefano Bezzato – Credit Suisse Iberdrola SA ( OTCPK:IBDRY ) Q4 2014 Earnings Conference Call February 18, 2015 3:30 AM ET Unidentified Company Representative Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, thank you for joining us this morning. It is with great pleasure that we welcome you in the presentation of 2014 results. As usual, this event is structured in a similar manner to our previous results presentation. First, we will begin with an overview of the results and the main developments during the period given by both our Chairman and CEO, Mr. Ignacio Galan, and our CFO, Mr. Jose Sainz. We also have with them, as usual, Mr. Francisco Martinez Corcoles, our Business CEO. At the end of the presentation we will then move onto the Q&A session. For this part we will first take questions from the room, followed by queries submitted via the web, and finally those with questions on the phone. However, we kindly request for you to avoid asking questions on the phone if possible due to the frequent poor sound quality. So please make your queries only through that channel as a last resort. We would expect that the event will last no more than 75 minutes, hoping that you find the presentation both useful and informative. Now without further ado, I will hand over to our Chairman and CEO, Mr. Ignacio Galan. Thank you very much again. Please, Mr. Chairman. Ignacio Galan So good morning, everyone. First I would like to thank you for attending this results presentation, either those who are here in London or through the webcast. We always appreciate very much your interest in our company. I will try to make a summary a bit on our Outlook 2014-2016, which was presented to the market and to yourselves a year ago. Since that time, Iberdrola has set the path to achieve the objectives in this period and we have already closed 2014 delivering results above the guidance. The progressive improvement of operating performance along the year has boosted EBITDA growth to 3.1%, reaching almost €7 billion. The positive also contribution from all geographies has allowed us to offset the lower result of pain in Spain due to negative impact of the regulatory measures that have been imposed in the last year. Net investment over the period amounted to €2.8 billion, reinforcing our strategic geographic diversification and our focus on regulated businesses, two main strategic pillars of our company. Regarding the balance sheet, the management of Iberdrola has reduced net debt by nearly €1.5 billion to €25.3 billion. As a consequence, the net debt to EBITDA ratio improved to 3.6 from 4 times in 2013, moving close to our 2016 goals and targets. Finally, net profit amounts €2.3 billion after having recorded non-recurring expenses of €128 million related to a new efficiency plan implementation, mostly in Spain, which will provide cost saving from this year on. These results allow us to maintain our commitment to shareholders and distribute the remuneration of at least €0.27 per share, which will be proposed for approval to the next Annual General Meeting. Let me start with a brief review of the main operating highlights of the period by country. We show how we’re implementing the strategic vision behind Outlook 2014-2016. United Kingdom, we already have defined rate cases, approved up to 2021 in transmission and until 2023 in distribution, which a total investment allowance of more than €8.2 billion over the period. In renewables, our first offshore wind power plant, West of Duddon Sands, is already in operation. And in Germany, the construction of our second Wilkinger offshore farm is underway. In regard of generation businesses in UK, all the existing facilities we offer in the capacity mechanism option have been awarded, totally 2261 megawatts. And in the retail businesses we have implemented the new IT system, which is already delivering efficiencies now. In United States, significant progress has also been made in networks. The new rate case has been approved in Maine for one year. Our high-voltage line out to Canada has been completed and the new projects to extend the New York transmission system are underway. In renewables, we finished the construction of the Baffin wind farm with 200 megawatts. And we have also qualified another 600 megawatt of the new project to be built up to 2016 under the new PTC extension approved by the end of last year. Finally, at the corporate level, we have completed the integration project to optimize the company structure in United States. In Mexico, we’ve already taken advantage of the new opportunities provided by the energy reform. Two CCGTs and two cogeneration plants are under construction and we’re already signing contracts with private consumers. In renewables, we’ve also two wind farms under construction and a pipeline of more than 100 megawatts to be built in the new year — in the next years. Positive news also comes from Brazil, where the drought impact has been mitigated for the tariff increases. Moreover, forward financial conditions had been agreed for the return regulatory asset base in falling tariff reviews. This current regulatory framework allows us to keep investing in the distribution activity in order to respond to the increasing demand and extend the access of electricity supply. In renewables, we have been awarded two auctions to build six new wind farms. Furthermore, the 1.8 gigawatt Teles Pires hydro power plant has been completed. Finally, in Spain, the structural tariff deficit has been solved and now only temporary adjustments are pending. In networks, we have already achieved a record quality of supply and we have further progressed in efficiencies by implementing the new program to continue optimizing our businesses, adapting our activity to the condition established in the new regulatory framework. Moving back to 2014 results, EBITDA amounted €6.965 billion, 5.5% above of our guidance, in growing 3.3% versus the previous years, as I mentioned before. All regions, except Spain, have positively contributed to this growth, offsetting the impact of the Spanish regulatory measures. By businesses, generation supply has a very good performance with an increase of 15.4% in EBITDA, almost reaching €2.3 billion. The higher production with more efficient generation mix, the better performance of the power plant and the normalization of retail margins in the United Kingdom have been the main drivers of our growth. In networks, EBITDA grew 5.6% to €3.5 billion. The return on investment and the good operating performance in UK and Brazil explain this improvement. Finally, the renewable business has been heavily impacted by regulatory measures in Spain, as I mentioned before as well, where EBITDA has fallen 37% versus previous year. Thanks to the contribution of Latin America 65% plus, United Kingdom 40% plus, and United States 10% plus, the drop in EBITDA for the global renewable business has been reduced to only 11.7% and amounts €1.3 billion. In 2014 we have invested €2.8 billion, 30% over 2013. Following our strategic pillars, these were mainly focuses in regulated activities within a stable and attractive framework, which accounted 87% of the total. By countries, United Kingdom attracted 46% of the total, followed by United States with 24% and Spain 18%. Our investment in Mexico and Brazil increased 65% to almost €330 million. If we include our proportion in Neoenergia, which, as you know, we’re not consolidating according to new IFRS standards, investment in Latin America amounts to almost €700 million, representing 20% of the total. Regarding cash flow, all our businesses are generating cash and still net investment, in-line with our strategic guidelines. The operating cash flow amounts €5.5 billion and after deducting investment, this figure is €2.6 billion. Thanks to the positive free cash flow generation and the progress in the divestment program, we have continued improving our already sound financial position. Regarding the divestment program, disposals alone in 2014 have exceeded €1 billion, thus increasing the accumulated amount in 2012 to €2.2 billion, close to our €2.5 billion target to be reached by the end of 2016. Net debt has been reduced almost €1.5 billion to €25.3 billion, not considering the amount in cash paid in December regarding the [inaudible] executed in 2014. We normally used to pay in January instead of December. And our main financial ratios have been improved. We’re now closer to the target set for 2016. This has been possible thanks to our active financial management along the year. We have issues amounting to more than €1.8 billion under favorable market conditions, which proceeds has been used to buy back all older notes with a proposal of reducing the cost of the debt and increasing its maturity. We have also reconfigured syndicated credit facilities, amounting to €7 billion, in order to improve their conditions, thus optimizing liquidity while reducing the cost while maintaining more than 30 months of financial need cover. Furthermore, we have been able to assign €1.2 billion of the credit rights for 2013 tariff deficit to a group of financial institutions with the corresponding reduction in the net debt. With all these operations, total costs associated to the debt has been reduced 18 basis points to 4.35%. And the company has no new financial needs for 2015. Average maturity date has been also increased to 6.3 years. All these highlight that Iberdrola has a sound business model, able to deliver operational growth even under unfavorable conditions for our high-quality portfolio of assets, which are balanced geographically with a balanced geographical diversification, an active financial management and a strong focus on operational efficiency. Our model, as we have demonstrated over the years, offers an attractive and sustainable return to all our shareholders. As evidence of this, total shareholders’ return delivered by Iberdrola reached 30.1% over the last year, above all the main European industry competitors and referenced indices, 11 percent points higher than the Eurostoxx Utilities and 20.6 percentage points above the IBEX 35. On the other hand, I would like to highlight the contribution of Iberdrola to the society. In 2014 our total direct contribution to tax and fiscal authorities in the countries in which we’re present exceed €5.5 billion. This figure includes our taxes, which amount €2.4 billion and represent almost half of the total profit before taxation and those collected by Iberdrola to be paid for the fiscal authorities. Moreover as a utility company, our activity has a significant impact on the economy as a whole. According to estimates by Analistas Financieros Internacionales, including indirect inducted impact, our total contribution to tax and fiscal authorities around the world amounts almost €10.5 billion. At the same time, Iberdrola is strong committed to the creation of the stable and quality employment. During 2014, 1,800 new employees were hired by the company for a total workforce of 27,500 people. Additionally, 700 apprentices join us along the year. And as we truly believe that employees are the key for our success of the company, we provide them with more than 40 hours of training per person during the year and here again, Iberdrola accessing engine for growth in the different markets where it operates. According to the referred estimate by Analistas Financieros Internacionales, Iberdrola Group contributes to the generation of 350,000 jobs around the world. Additionally, we’re at the forefront of the work-and-life balance measures. As proof of this is the certificate as family responsible company we have received in Spain and the recognition of best company to work in Brazil. As an impact of this job creation is due to the purchases of goods and services of €5.4 billion last year to more than 18,000 suppliers. Let me underline the high quality of most of our contractors. 93% of them have A or — A-plus or A sustainability level. 92% has been certified on the ISO quality and environmental management system or OHSAS health and safety system. In terms of corporate governance, we have been implementing measures to increase geographic diversification independence among our Board members. In this sense, seven national origins are represented in our 14 Board directors. 80% of them are independent. In addition, all members of audit and risk supervision committee come from countries other than Spain. Beside we’re among European companies with the largest number of women in the Board, 36%. And all the committees of the Board have chaired today with very well-qualified women. Thanks to our effort in this matter, last year Iberdrola was selected for the second time the Spanish company with the best corporate governance practices according to the World Finance. Additionally we have been ranked number one in terms of fiscal transparency among all IBEX 35 companies. Let me now conclude with a reference to the delivery of our main targets set in the Outlook 2014-2016. In 2014, Iberdrola has obtained better results than those previously forecasted during the day of investors. Concerning our profit and loss account, EBITDA was 5.5% higher and net profit improved 1.1% better than our guidance after recording the non-recurring expenses of €128 million already mentioned. With all this impact, EBITDA would have increased 7.5% and net profit 5.5%. As regards balance sheet strength, net debt reduction is on track to our €25 billion target to reach by 2016. In-line with that, the net debt/EBITDA ratio has improved to 3.6 times, closer to 3.5 times target by 2016. Finally, we have reaffirmed out commitment to maintain our shareholder remuneration of at least €0.27 per share. Looking ahead to year 2015, we expect EBITDA to grow above 2014, thanks to the positive contribution of the networks and renewable businesses. Our investment regulated activities, especially in UK and United States, together with efficiency measures undertaken will have a positive impact under the assumption of an average wind resource. The positive evolution of EBITDA together with an active financial management should drive an increase in recurring net profit versus last year. As regards the balance sheet, we expect to further reduce net debt and the net debt/EBITDA ratio close target set by 2016. Finally, the results allow us to reinforce our commitment with shareholders announced in the Outlook 2014-2016. Firstly, we will maintain a shareholder remuneration floor of €0.27 per share through a scrip dividend to guarantee an [inaudible] and sustainable yield. To avoid the dilution effect, the Board of Directors will propose to the Annual General Meeting the cancellation of 148.5 million shares. This capital reduction will represent 2.3%, will be instrumented through the redemption of the existing 2.1 treasury stock and the additional treasury shares buyback program, approved yesterday by the Board of Directors, representing a maximum of 0.2% of the total capital. In order to reach a final total number of shares of the permanent value of €6.240 billion. With that, I finish my presentation. And now I hand over to Pepe, who will present the Group results in further detail. Jose Sainz Thank you, Chairman. Good morning. I’m going to go through the P&L quickly as always. As you know, both the 2014 and 2013 results are reported in IFRS 11 that accounts the stake at or below 50% using the equity method. The deconsolidation of Neoenergia is the main impact at the EBITDA level but compensated at the net profit. The comparison versus 2013 also is positively affected at the EBIT level due to the asset impairments that we carried out last year and negatively at the tax level due to 2013 balance sheet revaluation. Exchange rates have had a small positive impact in our results. The pound has appreciated around 5% against the euro. But, as you know, we follow the trading average so the dollar has fallen 0.2% and the real has fallen 9% against the euro. So I would say that the impact at the EBITDA level would be around €50 million and at the net profit level would be only around €10 million. So this means that in 2015 we will see a net positive impact from the dollar and the pound revaluation against the euro. Revenues fell 3.4% to €30 billion, while procurements dropped a greater amount, 7.5%, to €7.8 billion due to the lower cost of our production mix. Consequently the gross margin grew 3.4% to €12.2 billion, improving from the 0.5% growth seen in the first nine months. Reported net operating expenses rose 4.8% to €3.6 billion, affected mainly by an efficiency plan launched on the fourth quarter that has allowed us to reduce redundancies and will have a positive impact in the next years. The cost of this plan that we have launched in the fourth quarter has been €128 million, impacting personnel expenses that grew 6.8%. Excluding this plan, personnel expenses would have been flat on the year. Reported net external services grew 2.8%. The growth is mainly due to the UK business, linked to the increase of capacity in renewables and cost associated to the new IT system that the Chairman has commented in retail, where we had some implementation difficulties that are now being resolved and also due to marketing campaigns and consultancy services in the ED1 filing. This counts in the non-recurring impact of efficiency measures, as I commented you, €128 million, whose benefits will crystallize in the coming years. Net operating expenses rose 2.3 points below the gross margin. So the operating efficiency improved from 29.4% to 28.8%. I’m talking about the recurrent operating efficiency. Levies grew 1.5% versus the 9.5 fall at September due to the accounting of the social bonds in Spain of €66 million and the higher taxes in the UK, around €45 million. These negative have been partially compensated by the favorable €130 million court ruling in Spain that we accounted in Q2, as we have already explained in previous quarterly reports. Reported EBITDA for networks grew 5.6% to €3.5 billion, improving from the 0.5% fall at September, especially with a positive performance in all geographics, except Spain, and especially in Brazil due to the accounting changes approved in Q4 that allows the recognition of regulatory assets to be collected in the future. Exchange rate improvement has also helped in the UK, where it has had €52 million, has been flat in the United States and negative in Brazil, taking away around €27 million. In Spain, the EBITDA fell 0.8% to €1.4 billion as a consequence of the efficiency plan costs that have impacted networks and, as I mentioned, accounted in Q4 because we have had a slight higher gross margin. In the UK, EBITDA grew 3.7% to £827 million as a result of the 6.1% increase in gross margin due to the higher asset base and a consequence of greater investments. There is also an 8.1% increase in net operating expenses with higher personnel cost and external services linked to the ED1 process, as I have commented. In the U.S., EBITDA is up 7.7% to slightly over $1 billion with gross margin growing 2.2%. Higher revenues as a result of the rate cases and the contribution of the main-line, in addition to the 6.1% improvement in net operating expenses are the main business drivers. In Elektro, the EBITDA grew 36.5% to BRL935 million, improving from the fall at September due to the accounting changes in 2014 — at the end of 2014 as we’re accounting for the or registering the regulatory assets to be collected in subsequent years. All of this had a net positive impact of around BRL200 million and we have been also helped by the 38% increase in tariffs in August. As you remember, Elektro had an increase in August. Net operating expenses grew 10.7%. In generation and supply, EBITDA is up 15% to €2.3 billion due to a strong operational performance with a 6.7% higher gross margin and helped by the reduction in levies due to the court’s ruling I mentioned before. In Spain, the EBITDA reached €1.5 billion with a 5% increase in gross margin to the 8.2% higher output held by the hydro production and the nuclear production. And this higher output and lower cost have compensated slightly lower prices in Spain. The 9.4% lower levies offset the 6.2% increase in net operating expenses following the efficiency measures that I have commented. In the UK, the liberalized EBITDA was £368 million, recovering for the weak 2013 as plants performed better and retail margins normalized, although still a low. As a matter of fact, the EBIT-over-sales ratio of the business as a whole is only at 1.3%. In Mexico, EBITDA grew 0.6% to $465 million, improving from the fall in September. As we commented, the negative one-off impact associated with the renegotiation of private contracts in the first half has been finally reversed by better margins and good operational performance. Renewables, as the Chairman commented, fell — the EBITDA fell 11.7% to €1.3 billion driven by Spain with a 37% fall or €247 million, affected by the remuneration cost from the Spanish regulatory measures. The positive contribution of the rest of geographies partially compensates the fall in Spain. As a consequence of this, now is the U.S. the largest contributor to the EBITDA in renewables with 37%. Gross margin fell 7.6% and net operating expenses increased 5.6%, especially due to the new offshore operational capacity that has just come in-line. In general in renewables, the operating capacity was up 3.3%. The average load factor fell 0.6 points to 27.2% and the output decreased slightly. Average price dropped 8% due to the Spanish market. In the U.S. specifically, the EBITDA grew 10.7% to $658 million, thanks to the 0.9% output increase and the trading profits that we took advantage due to the weather conditions in the first quarter. In Spain, the EBITDA was down €247 million to €421 million with a €339 million negative impact from the new regulation in 2014 versus and €122 million impact that we already accounted in 2013. In addition, prices and load factor decreased compared with the extraordinary wind conditions of 2013, although in general the output was solid. In the UK, the EBITDA grew 8.7% to £214 million with higher average capacity offsetting the lower onshore load factor. West of Duddon Sands offshore wind farm has contributed to £34 million. In Latin America, EBITDA rose 65% to €71 million thanks to a 28% higher average capacity in Mexico and Brazil and a 45% increase in output. In the rest of the world, EBITDA decreased 33% to €73 million due to the sale of 184 megawatts of our Polish wind farms in 2013. EBIT reached €3.940 billion, €1.7 billion more than in 2013, which included €1.8 billion of gross asset impairments, mainly related to the U.S. gas and renewables. Depreciation and amortization grew €149 million, mainly driven by the UK with the addition of operating capacities in renewable and higher investments in systems and in networks. We have also taken advantage of the strong operating results to make over €100 million of non-recurrent provisions in renewables and network business. Net financial costs improved 12% to €1.1 billion due to the €132 million lower debt-related costs thanks to a 7% decrease in average net debt and an average total net cost improvement of 18 basis points, thanks to the float and interest debt increase. There is also a €96 million of gross capital gains from the sale of our stake in EDP, partially compensated by the lack of dividend collected from EDP, the lower contribution of the tariff deficit resolution due to the lower yearly average and the lower FX derivative gains as this year the euro has depreciated against our basket of currencies versus 2013. Equity contribution fell 34% due to the €70 million negative impact in Neoenergia and €31 million of Garona, partially compensated by the revaluation of our stake in Gamesa. Non-recurrent results added €214 million to our profit before taxes due to capital gains in the sale of a nuclear JV in the UK, our stake in Bahia de Bizkaia and Itapebi. Reported net profit fell 9.5% to €2.327 million as a consequence of the higher tax rate in 2014 versus 2013 that included €1.5 billion of tax gains in Spain due to asset revaluation and one-off impacts of lower corporate tax in the UK. Going quickly through the financing, by the end of 2014, Iberdrola regulatory receivables pending to collect was €386 million following the sale of the 2013 tariff deficit in December. At year end we had €224 million of generation taxes pending to be collected and €162 million of 2014 temporary tariff deficit to be collected during 2015. The financial strength of the Group, as the Chairman said, continues to improve with a €1.2 billion reduction in our reported net debt to €25.6 billion, even considering, and this is very important, a €978 million negative exchange rate impact due to the euro depreciation against our basket of currencies at year end. Not on the trailing average of the year, as you can see in our results, basically the impact of our currencies has been slightly positive but, at the net debt, it has had an impact of also almost €1 billion that will be reversed or will be normalized during 2015. Pro-forma net debt including tariff deficit totals €25.3 billion excluding the 2014 interim dividend paid in December, when it is usually paid in January. Iberdrola has improved its pro-forma leverage ratio from 43% to 41% in one year. Despite the fact that I commented, that the FX exchange penalized our solvency ratios, as you can see in the right slide of — in the right part of the slide, 2014 ratios have improved during the year strongly. The interim scrip dividend paid in December 2014 obviously affects the year-end financial metrics, so we have put the financial metrics with and without the interim dividend. But excluding this impact, the net debt to EBITDA, as the Chairman has said, is around 3.6 times, which is close to the 3.5 times target. FFO over net debt close at 21.5%, up from 20.8% one year ago and our retained cash flow over net debt ended at 18.6% versus 17.5% one year ago. As the Chairman also has said, during 2014 the Group has continued to adapt the level of liquidity to focus on improving our financial cost. As of today, Iberdrola has available liquidity of around €9 billion, covering more than 30 months of financial needs, even in a stressed scenario and there are no new net financing needs for 2015, although we will continue active liability management that helped us to reduce our cost of debt and increase our average debt maturity to 6.3 years in 2014. So thank you very much. Question-and-Answer Session A – Unidentified Company Representative Okay. I suspect that we’re going to start with the questions from the room. Martin Young, the first one. Then Carolina. Martin Young It’s Martin Young from RBC. Two questions, your strategy is very clear. You intend to increase the weight of regulated activities in the mix of the business. That has led to you being connected with a number of acquisition opportunities, notably in the U.S. Just wondered if you could give us some play there on where we stand with your aspirations to expand regulated activities outside of Europe. And then secondly, and please feel free to not answer the question if it’s too early in the day, but the CMA in the UK has come out with some initial observations about the supply market this morning, and I just wondered what Iberdrola/Scottish Power’s response to the initial findings are. Thank you. Ignacio Galan So I think on the first one, thank you very much for already saying that we have so clear the strategy. I think we have clear strategy, it’s true. So we would like to put all our investments clearly on the areas, geographical areas in business which are stable, predictable and with reasonable returns. That is already being provided by networks. It’s provided in certain countries by renewables, or in certain countries by power generation with PPAs, long-term PPAs. That’s clear. So relating to United States, I think as we mentioned, I think we have already in this moment completed the rate case in Maine and we have already completed the transmission line with this already to connect Canada with Massachusetts. We’re now in progress for another transmission, important transmission, which will allow Maine as well not only to bring electricity from their other neighbors, but as well to be able to export certain electricity produced potentially by wind farms they are planning to build in the state. In New York now we’re already involved in two projects, transmission projects, to inject electricity into New York city. One is the project called Transco, which is a joint venture with the main companies of the region. In another one, which is a stake, is going to take probably a bit longer, which is a high-voltage DC line, which should come as well from the neighbor state into New York city, across the motorways which is coming to New York. It’s a project with over $1b investment, which we’re involved on that one as well. But I think it’s not for immediately, but I think we’re working to push them on. Apart from that, I think this year we will start with the rate case on New York, so which we expect to have already as well as we did in last time for five years. We would try to negotiate off an extension as well for WR, which would allow us to have already clarity in this one. We have to be to take into consideration and still the needs of New England of investment in network existed very high. Their politicians are very concerned about what is happening any time which appear the storms. Those days they are suffering the consequences of the storms. Even this idea is not very bad because accordingly I was last week there in Maine and they said, the snow is dry. So for those what we’re familiar with, we have not so much snow, we’re not distinguishing which of the dry snow and the wet snow. It seemed the bad one is the wet one, the dry one is not so bad. Anyway, this already had some consequences. So altogether it means there are a lot of chances in this area to do much more things. And I think that is what we’re working at this particular moment. The CMA analysis, the Financial Director was commenting that in terms of returns, we’re obtaining in the business in this country, in Britain, power generation and retail 2013. We have negative EBIT and last year was already 1.3%, I think you mentioned 1.3% EBIT margin. I think with 1.3% EBIT margin, the only thing could happen is the thing can be improved. Because I think with 1.3% margin, it’s difficult to stand, to build new power plants and to already provide the energy needs that this country requires. So I think that is our case, I don’t know the rest of the companies, but I suppose they are not much different. I think in certain cases when they’re talking about margin, they talk about gross margin. But I think behind gross margin they know the cost we have to be contemplating. I think in our particular case EBIT margin last year in Britain was 1.3%. Try not to worry, previous year, it was negative EBIT in this country in power generation. Fortunately, 18% of our business in this country is not related with power generation in every way. So most of its as regulated activities, as you know, which is transmission, distribution and renewables. Carolina Dores Carolina Dores from Morgan Stanley. I have two questions. First one, you’re at your net debt targets for 2016. Already, your results are better than you have guided for. I think you are very comfortable by meeting guidance in 2016. So how are you thinking about capital redeployments? Do you think that 2015 could be the year when you conceded dividends growing modestly? Or you think for the next 12 months you more focus on looking at your growth options being in the U.S. or Mexico, which seem to be your core focus? And my second question, it’s on the €130 million — €128 million provisions that you’ve done this year. What is the benefit on earnings that you expect will have from this investment done in 2014? Ignacio Galan So related to 2015, I think we’re in February. We’re expecting therefore an Investor Day by October. So I think as most as I can say in February, is what I was saying. It’s how I’ve foreseen the year. I’ve foreseen the year in power regeneration retail to normalize the condition. Last year was very, especially here in terms of hydro production, in wind production with lower prices. This year, the prices are more normalized and the pricing is more normalized. That is what I was putting in my slide. We’re seeing better performance in terms of networks and in terms of renewables. And we know that because the investment we have already made and because of the efficiency measure we take out over the year. So this €120 million is a reduction in personnel of the range of 400, 500 people, which have already a positive effect in the accounts of the year in the range of €30 million. So which I think is a payback on the range of three years or something else. Can we face another one? So I think that is the thing. So, I think, what I can say today, how we’re foreseeing 2015 today is that altogether we’re going to have a better year in terms of EBITDA. So we’re seeing a year, and now we cannot already, talking about these extraordinary things with non-recurring items we can already have incurred the year. So that’s why we talk about recurring net profit. So seeing the EBITDA can be better than last year with today [inaudible]. And we expect the recurring net profit as well will be better than last year. And we cannot already foresee what sort of extraordinary items can already affect to the profit and loss account. But I think in terms of recurrent EBITDA, in terms of net profit we’re seeing already a better year than previous year because of these things I mentioned. And the more investment, and as well, the help in certain cases of the rate of exchange, so as well is helping the U.S. dollar rates, etc., etc. Altogether, we’re seeing today those things. I think who had the opportunity across the year, across the quarters, to be already seeing how that, let’s say, outlook that you can see today. If that is we’re consolidating or that is already improving or is not — whatever changes could happen. But we’re already, let’s say, today optimistic about how it’s going to perform this year. That is what we say today and across the year, we will see if that is more or less optimistic, what we’re seeing today. Unidentified Company Representative [Technical Difficulty]. And then Javier Garrido, and afterwards, Stefano. Unidentified Analyst I just have one question. It’s about the UK. I’m trying to understand EBITDA in power generation. Apparently you have two numbers here. In the press release it’s 456 and the presentation it’s 368. I guess it’s a typo. If I stick to the 456, it’s quite remarkable improvement compared to last year. And you have mentioned improvement in supply margins and normalization in power generation. But I would like to understand it better, because I see combined cycles production down 12%, coal down 6%, deteriorating clean spa spread. Is that normalization coming on from ancillary services? Just any explanation, thanks. Jose Sainz The difference is that one is expressed in euros and the other is in pounds. So £250 — it’s million pounds, while €400 plus is euros. That is the main change, no? Unidentified Company Representative Javier Garrido. And afterwards, Stefano from Credit Suisse. Javier Garrido A couple of questions, firstly, on 2015 guidance, I understand that you don’t want to be more precise, but just to be clear, would you still be looking for EBITDA growth with stable currencies? If we were to eliminate the benefit of the currency appreciation, would you still be seeing EBITDA growth in 2015? And then the second question is on the outlook for the dividend. Now, as you have said, net recurrent income is starting to increase, should start increasing in 2015. When or where would you start to feel comfortable to discuss dividend increases, after having been able to sustain the dividend in a very difficult period? When do you think — or what is the level of profitability that you will need to see in Iberdrola to start to consider increasing the dividend? Thank you. Ignacio Galan I think the second question is very simple. I think we have already, now we’re already pay out on the round of 70%, I think we have been already talking with goal like to normalize this leverage of around 60% to 65%, something else. So it means we need to grow more in terms of net profits in order to increase that one. But apart from that, I think we have another couple of goals, or targets. Therefore, the fixed one is the debt, and the debt/EBITDA ratio. So I think in the moment we achieve the debt and the EBITDA ratio in the net profit is enough to start reducing this level of payout. I think we will consider that is the time for increasing the one. Nevertheless, I think the yield which we’re already paying today, and stability, then we can already offer toward another one. I think we can say something in Iberdrola, we see Iberdrola equal of predictability and stability. In a year of tremendous surprise on the regulatory field we suffered during 2013 and 2014 has been able to maintain our dividend. We have been able to maintain or improve our financial solidity, and that is what is important. So I think we will not — we consider then the shareholders, it’s already evaluating quite a lot about predictability and stability. We’re not already with the rationable yield we’re offering today, which I think is very good. It’s not the same thing companies who already know such a predictability and stability, which are offering already yields, which in very many cases, nobody knows what is going to come and companies, we’re already the most trading and systematically we’re already fulfilling what we’re saying. And I think we’re fulfilling what they are saying because we’re precisely this strategic model which is already this geographically based diversification. This already business mix, which are already allowed to us, to have ready our let’s say even in the very negative circumstances we have been living during 2013 and 2014 with certain dramatic regulatory changes. We have been able almost to serve globally. The result, even in one country, we’re relieving suffering because of those things that is what we’re really foreseeing, and that is what we offer. So in terms of 2015, I think — I insist, so I’ll be delighted to be able to give more detail. But I think we’re in February, and I think we’re depending on a lot of things during the next 10 months. So I think today, the most I can say then, I’m optimistic about the this year, I’m optimistic in terms of EBITDA, I’m optimistic in terms of recording net profits. But it’s 10 months to come. In 10 months to come, I think — I don’t know what is going to be the rainfall, how the wind is going to perform, what is going to be the result of the regulatory negotiation. We’re on the way. We don’t know what is going to happen with — except the drought in Brazil, so it’s very many things. So altogether we’re seeing with our risk analysis, what I can say is our risk analysis gave us confidence that we’re going to have a better year than the previous year, that is the most I can already say today, altogether, in all the areas. I think in a couple of months we will meet ourselves again. We will see the results of the first quarter. That is what I say today. It corresponds or is improving or is not improving. In six months we will meet again, so we will be seeing. I was telling you last year that probably the result of this year will be, we start from an EBITDA, we were seeing negative, we were systematically increasing EBITDA growth month after month, quarter after quarter. And I was telling you that probably we will be in the range of the 3% increase in EBITDA. It was 3.1%, so — but I think everyone know that after the results of the first half, so I think I wouldn’t say that in February. Okay? Unidentified Company Representative Stefano, and then you, sorry. Stefano Bezzato Stefano Bezzato, Credit Suisse. Three questions, if I may, the first one on your views, your expectation on the CO2 market reform which is currently ongoing at EU level. The second one, you mentioned the drought in Brazil. What’s your current assessment of the risk of power rationing? And could this jeopardize your targets for this year in terms of EBITDA and net income? And finally, can you just provide the achieved power price that you expect to achieve in 2015 in Spain? Thank you. Ignacio Galan So view to reform. I think very many thing has already happened in this area in the last 12 months. Do you know, we’re already a group of companies what we’re 40%, let’s say 80% of the European electricity sector. And we’re another group of companies, which is the European Round Table with 10%, we’re the 50 largest industries in Europe. In the last 24 months we have been visiting regularly all the European leaders. We’ve already made press conference, we have already been meeting everybody and just trying to put in mind about our goals, our ambition to have already a European industrial renaissance, and at the same time, to be already more competitive in the energy sector and a bit cleaner. So all these things have motion, very many of these thoughts have been taken into consideration by European Union. And then, that’s why they are already fixing for 2030 targets. It’s mostly a single target, which is a carbon reduction by 40%. With 33% roughly to reduce by 20% between 2020 and 2030. So what this was between 19 years and 20 years. So in 20 years, our European target was reduced to 20% emissions. And in 10 years, we have already, we have ambition to reduce by another 20%. So that is another consequence, collateral consequences. But, together with this, there are a couple of things more very important, is that I was recently with the new Commissioner of Energy, Mr. Canetti [ph]. I was recently as well in Davos with President for European Energy Union, Mr. Sefcovic and both of them in their public speeches, they have said very clearly, that they will like to implement a real eight years emission trading scheme which works properly. And for making that properly, they are already trying to advance as soon as possible, their reserve stability mechanism, which allows to withdraw from the market 100 billion tonnes of carbon, which is already, there is one which are affecting negative to the price of the carbon. So they are concerned then the ETS, the European Trading Scheme would not work if there are a lot of free advances in the market, and that has to be controlled by another one. So I think that too is important, is a step forward. So European Union has already agreed and this has to be, this recent mechanism has to be implemented between before 2021, but both either by President for the European Energy Union, or the Commissioner of Energy and Climate Change, they are doing their best. And they said recently in a conference to do their best for to be implemented no later than 2017. What does it represent? If that happen, so automatically price of carbon prices will increase, and that will help to make the switching from one thing, not least to other ones without increasing the cost, because now at the moment it’s very, very particular with low prices of oil. I don’t know for how long it’s going to be, but with the low price of oil that will be a good opportunity without increasing the cost for the citizens to try to switch from dirty technologies to cleaner technologies. Same thing is happening in the United States at this moment with the switching from coal to gas, yes, thanks to the low cost and prices of the gas in this particular moment. So I think that is going on. So my expectation is then the current prices is going to increase. What is the trend? Should we as quick as the eight years in the market as stability, system, will we implement it? It’s as soon as we implement it, the sooner we’ll increase this one. And it depends as well how much of those 900 million tonnes which are already free allowances in the market will be already controlled from another one in order to make to make that that will not affect the market as a whole. Related to rationing and Brazil, perhaps you can already comment better than myself. So as far as I know, so the situation continues in old situation. I have to say something in favor of the Brazilians, is that suffering as much as they’re suffering as consequence of this terrific drought they are suffering, but they are trying for all means to keep the market rules working. So they have been already doing all the necessary for not intervening in the market, just leaving the market and using other tools such as injecting money into the system from the national buyout, looking for credit and loans. So we get in the system, do we pay long-term? And looking even to modify the terms of the distribution license, which in such a way then they then they can replay through an extension of their period. Together with increases in rates, which I think is tremendous, which I think increases they are already making systematically. Pepe was informing that recently was increasing upwards by 40%. Now they are new [inaudible] of increases. So that is a positive thing. So they are trying to maintain the market rules at any price, doing whatever necessary for maintaining that one. What is going to happen, if that continues, they made the rationing. So we had already that in the past, and we managed. So I think we managed, we managed in a satisfactory manner. But I think they are doing the best for avoiding that. So I think now the problem is not the rationing only. Because of the power generation, even in certain towns and areas, it’s for water supply. I think you can already say it in the area San Paolo that they are drilling wells just for supplying water to the citizens. So that is the situation. But the positive thing is that in this environment they are trying to keep and maintain the rules as much as they can using whatever resources. The prices in Spain so almost [inaudible]. Francisco Martinez Corcoles Yes for 2015, it’s about 58, 59, something like that. We have already hedged about 40 terawatt hours and in terms of — this is in terms of energy and price, but in terms of margins, it’s almost the whole margin needs that because the rest of production out of this value is going to be thermal production that will be run on market basis, and so this close more or less the margin. Yes allow me to add something about Brazil. They are working on something that this even more rational on this line that [inaudible] has mentioned that these voluntary programs of production instead of rationing, so they are working on these and rather we will see something if needed in terms of voluntary action of people to reduce their consumption. Unidentified Analyst I had a question, two questions for me please. The first one is on Spanish power demand. As we’ve seen, despite the recovering economy, the Spanish power demand hasn’t really grown. What’s your view going forward? Because we’ve seen I think 0.5 production last year on temperature adjusted basis. The second question is about Longannet, the UK’s second largest power plant. I think you invested a lot of money in it, and you’ve also decided not to enter into the capacity auction. What’s your view going forward, taking into account they have been some press reports about the plant having to bear higher cost of network compared to their peers? Thank you. Ignacio Galan So good news in terms of demand, I think in Spain, I have already two years ago, on the group of the largest Spanish company what we already, what we called the [inaudible], we prepared a document I was presenting it here in London and you were present, I presented in Boston, I presented in New York in Washington and we were saying, is Spain a country for opportunities? And I was already, yes, mentioning that Spain is a country where we’re never warm. We’re hot or cold. We’re passing from cold to hot without moving through a period of warm, so I think we pass for the situation we were already close to being able to be rescued or to ask for the bailout to a moment that we have the economy more healthy and a more growing economy. I think that is the nature of our country, that is the nature of the Spanish. And one other is for years we have already created an industry very competitive, very competitive, very technified, but what we have already the temperature demand was so high that nobody care in selling outside of the country because all of the production was sold just in the neighborhood. So suddenly the internal situation because we’re becoming from hot to cold, beside nobody will decide to buy anything, and to consume anything. And all this inn excess of very competitive production were spotted. And I think with this export I think we’re booming the export and now the confidence is coming back again to the citizens. The export is booming and the citizens’ internal confidence is increasing, one plus another one is making the economy is growing on levels according with our estimate more closely with 3% than 2% this year, and probably next year. We’re creating employment more than all the others, and probably last year we created something like 400,000 jobs and this year, probably we’re going to repeat or even increase these numbers, so that is the positive. How is that manifest in the demand, electricity demand? In the electric demand is happening two things. First of all, in the residential one, there are a lot of devices we’re introducing in our houses, which makes the efficiency is coming inside of the houses. I think the lighting is different, we consume less. The devices, electrical devices, refrigerators, TVs etcetera are consuming less. It’s true then we’re using more electrical devices, so I think that is partially compensated. But there is something which is changing in the rules. We have not to link GDP with the demand. So I think it’s something was a correlation in the past. In our opinion, it’s not to be any longer. So the second area is in the area of services as well as the situation, the same one, hotel, restaurant, etcetera put in devices which are more efficient towards what it was before which is partially compensated because they are putting more electrical equipment in each of those things. In the industry, I think in the industry, which is the area which is last year was growing the demand. This year, the industry continues growing strongly and the demand as a whole, January and February is growing. I think January grows 3.2%, 5% in January and in February? 5% growth. So I think all this, seeing that the devices introduced in the houses, the devices introduced in the services are such, we’re consuming less. So it means we’re using much more those ones because they are more economical activity. In the industry they are already efficient in terms of the ordinary consumption that is the area that is more clearly it’s already increasing. So the demand in Spain is at this moment, it’s increasing much about what normally have two increase according with the net efficiency, introducing the system. So it means the economy is accelerating in this process if we analyze on the perspective of the electricity demand. Longannet, well, I think this country has already particularity. It’s the only country in Europe, where the transmission charges are not already the same for everybody independent of the distance where are the power plants. So in other words, the model is that the most — less costly power plant should be if it’s in the center of London. So I think if in Hyde Park they are allowed to make a power plant, this power plant will be almost zero transmission. So in essence it’s not easy to bring gas and coal to whatever, in the center of Hyde Park. I suppose the Londoners will not very pleased to see all those in this beautiful park which is in the center of the town. So those power plant which is more far away, they are already penalized in terms of transmission charges. There is one retail process to the consumer centers. In the case of Longannet, this is an example. I think when demand in the spreads are very low and the charges are very high. Only those ones which are close to the demand centers are those ones we have chance to keep open. And that’s why we will not ask for — we don’t think with Longannet to auction because we have to keep open this up to 2020, up to 2018 or 2019, which at the moment we cannot receive. So capacity payment but we have to keep open that one as to the level and we have to be continue paying a huge amount of money which, in certain cases is double, then at most we can expect for the capacity payment, that is relative. But Longannet is needed for the electricity in the northern parts of England — of Britain, up to the moment that the more interconnection will be created, or in other words, will be created and that is the discussion we have already in this particular moment. So saying that, so the production of Longannet is practically matched with the production we’re having to take with renewables. When Longannet plan was to be assisted with production with wind farms which we’re already building our project plant here, so I think almost one is matching another one which I think is going not to be dramatic. Saying that, as Pepe mentioned, the margins in retail and wholesale in this country is 1.3%, so I think — in EBIT, so I think it’s not dramatic about everything so our business in this country is regulated. So when you see ourselves in Britain look up Scottish power is a regulated business, transmission, distribution and renewables, which are already the particular circumstances. Okay. Unidentified Company Representative Any additional question in the room? Okay, we have a block of questions from the web, coming from Virginia Sanz from Deutsche Bank, Javier Suarez, Mediobanca, Gonzalo Sanchez-Bordona, BPI, and Daniel Rodriguez from Fidentiis. The first one is Spain about the Spanish generation. Does the company see the possibility or necessity of significant closing down capacity in Spain? Ignacio Galan It’s depends. I am going to reply in a Galician style. In the north-west of Spain is a region which is Galicia, which I like very much these people, which are very sympathetic. When you ask a Galician — their prime minister is Galician — so when you ask anything, always the reply, it depends. So you never know when you — that they joke when you say you are already in the stairs and you close with a Galician, you never know if he goes up and down, because always he reply in a sentence, I’m going to reply Galician. It’s depends. If the demand continues growing at 5%, so it means all the power is going to be needed in a very short period of time. If the demand is growing, we shall see, but I think we’re in certain cases, what we’re not ready is spending much more a big amount of money in those power plants which we’re not already using a lot in this particular moment. We’re already trying to optimize the cost for keeping open certain of those ones we can expect that aid can be needed in certain short period of time during the year. In another one that we’re spending can’t be used in the middle term. So I think there are a lot of circumstances around which we don’t know what is going to happen. What is going to happen with carbon prices? How is this going to affect the coal power plants existing in Spain and Europe? It’s going to happen the same thing in Spain and with this happening in Europe or in the States, which they call power plant not closed just because the carbon prices or just because of [inaudible] restriction or just because whatever are these things. We don’t know. I think the fact we have certain power plants, they are already not used very much, mostly combined cycles, which if it continues the demand growing, it’s going to be used much more. And if all this ATS etcetera is implemented and the carbon prices increase, so probably those ones which it needs to be closed first are the coal power plants and not the combined cycle. So I think it’s — we’re living in a moving environment. In this moment, depending on a lot of things, and this lot of things is going to affect completely, completely on the future of the energy mix in Spain and Europe in the next few months and years. Unidentified Company Representative Okay, the next question is regarding the retained margins in the UK. What is your view on them during 2015? Do you expect similar profitability levels as in 2014? Francisco Martinez Corcoles Okay. Yes, for 2015, we expect something quite similar to the one that we run into today, what we have seen in 2014 involves aspects in wholesale generation and retail. Simply this, there are not much more information we can give you. All the tariff decreases has been already done, and all of them has been in the same line. On the other hand, CMA has initial thoughts, show no concern about the four main topics that were under investigation on the CMA file, that were no evidence of generation market power, nor that remains of vertical integration, no lack of wholesale transparency and retail price indicator not coordinated. So I cannot tell more than this, everything is going to be in the same line. The prices have been cut to a level that it should be. All the — we think in this environment, all the Big Six are in the same line. Even the smallest, the supplier that they have a number of customers smaller are in the same line, so everything will be let’s say steady in state. Unidentified Company Representative Okay. Next question is regarding the M&A and is it still the asset rotation inaudible for Iberdrola? Ignacio Galan So I’m not seeing the need in this moment, I think we said our divestment is almost done, so we plan to divest €2.5 billion almost €2.2 billion has been already invested. So we have not seen need of that investing in a short-term something else just to complete this one. I think we can already make things up over the year and I think we’re not already planning to make anything. I think this is a goal, but that’s it. Unidentified Company Representative Next question is regarding the numbers. It’s the tax rate for 2015, expected for 2015 and 2016. And financial cost expected, the interest cost expected during 2015, according with the evolution of interest rates. Jose Sainz The tax rate will be somewhere around 25%, 26%, similar to what we have this year. And financial cost, we’re expecting also to reduce it by around 15 basis points to 20 basis points next year. Unidentified Company Representative Next question is regarding the exchange rate impact. Could you quantify the possible translation positive effect on your 2015 accounts on the strengthening of the U.S., pound and Latin coverage situation of the euro? Jose Sainz Well as of today, I would say that it is a nice impact. I think that we could be clearly of €150 million impact only due to the exchange rate. Unidentified Company Representative And the final question is regarding renewables. Can you quantify the additional megawatts installed during 2015 in 2016? And how many will come from offshore capacity? Ignacio Galan [Indiscernible] which is close to me here saying to me, I don’t know if 400 or 500 megawatts. So between 400 and 500 megawatts new operating capacity. Unidentified Company Representative Okay, that’s all, we’re all set. Ignacio Galan Okay, thank you very much. So I hope that in the next session we will be able to disclose more of things about how they think the year is going to perform. But I think I would like to summarize that last year’s results, we were already very happy with those. I think they were very much better than those ones we were expecting and the expectation for the year as well are positive. That is a summary. What we can present to-date to you. Thank you very much.