Filed by Public
Service Enterprise Group Incorporated
Pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act of 1933
and Deemed Filed Pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Subject Company:
Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated
(Commission File No. 001-09120)
A series of Q&As
concerning the proposed merger
February 8, 2005
PLEASE PRINT AND POST
FOR EMPLOYEES WITHOUT ACCESS TO E-MAIL
Corporate communications and human
resources continue to work together to gather employees questions concerning the
planned merger between PSEG and Exelon. We will attempt to respond in a timely
fashion. We recognize that information helps ease uncertainties about change.
However, please realize that some questions may not have answers until later in the
transition period.
Meanwhile, if you have a question, you
can submit it by e-mail to mergerquestions@pseg.com.
Todays Merger Q&A
relates to the regulatory filings made last Friday, Feb. 4, 2005:
Q. |
The company has proposed a detailed plan that calls for the divestiture of
some assets and long-term sales associated with others. Why is this
necessary? |
A. |
The regulatory agencies (FERC, NJBPU, PAPUC, Illinois Commerce Commission) will
want to ensure that the new company Exelon Electric & Gas does
not have market power in any relevant market. Our regulatory team, working with
business experts, designed the market power mitigation proposal based upon
FERCs merger review criteria. |
Q. |
What is market power and why is it an issue in this merger? |
A. |
Market power generally reflects the amount and location of electric generating
capacity owned or controlled by a participant in wholesale electric markets like
PJM. Regulatory agencies want to make sure that any one owner of electric
generating capacity doesnt have the ability to artificially raise prices
by physically or economically withholding energy and capacity from the market. |
|
The Exelon/PSEG merger will create an electric generating company with more than 40,000
megawatts of electric generating capacity located in PJM markets. FERC will consider
whether the size and location of this generating portfolio presents the potential for
market concentration. Both companies recognize this concern and the FERC application filed
on Feb. 4, 2005, includes a plan to address the issue in detail. |
Q. |
How is it determined if there is a market power issue? |
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A. |
FERC has a series of tests or screens that it asks companies to
apply under a variety of conditions to determine under what circumstances market
power issues may exist. FERC examines multiple time periods and load conditions
when applying these screens. The companies have done a detailed analysis using
FERCs market power screens and have determined that a potential for market
power does exist, primarily in PJM East. PJM East is part of the
traditional PJM market, which includes eastern Pennsylvania and
central and northern New Jersey. |
Q. |
How much capacity is being transferred? |
A. |
5,500 MW of capacity in PJM, with an emphasis on PJM East. This is unprecedented
in magnitude. Some of the capacity will be divested that is, sold
outright. The nuclear baseload capacity will not be divested outright, but
instead will be part of a virtual divestiture, which is explained
below. |
Q. |
How are the companies specifically proposing to mitigate the market
power issue? |
A. |
The plan calls for the new company to divest at least 550 MW of coal-fired
capacity, 1,350 MW of mid-merit, and 1,000 MW of peaking capacity in the PJM
East region. This is a total of 2,900 MW of generation. |
|
The plan also calls for virtual divestiture of more than 2,600 MW of baseload
nuclear capacity. This will be accomplished by long-term sales (for at least 15 years or
the life of a unit) or annual auctions of 25-MW blocks of nuclear capacity for three-year
terms. The amount of nuclear capacity not sold via long-term contracts will be available
for the annual capacity auctions. |
|
The virtual divestiture is designed to transfer control of the capacity without losing the
benefit to the marketplace of Exelons demonstrated nuclear operating expertise. In
addition, the annual nuclear capacity auctions will be timed to coincide with New
Jerseys Basic Generation Service (BGS) wholesale power auction, in which the
states distribution utilities obtain the energy and capacity they need to serve
customers. The expectation is that making the nuclear capacity available to other
wholesale suppliers will contribute to the competitiveness of the BGS auction. |
Q. |
Which plants will be sold? |
A. |
The market power issues are mainly in the eastern part of PJM, encompassing
portions of eastern Pennsylvania and central and northern New Jersey, and are
across all types of generation. Therefore, all generating units in this region
could be considered for inclusion in the portfolio of assets considered for
sale. However, the specifics of implementing the plan have yet to be determined
and there have been no decisions made about any unit. |
Q. |
Are we considering selling some of both Exelons and PSEGs
facilities? |
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Q. |
How will the plants be sold? Will all of the plants/MW be sold to one buyer? |
A. |
The plan provides that no more than half of the capacity will be sold to any one
purchaser. In addition, none of the capacity will be sold to any entity that
already owns more than 5 percent of capacity in PJM East. |
Q. |
If a divestiture is required, when would it take place? |
A. |
Until the merger closes, Exelon and PSEG will continue to operate as separate
companies. Therefore, divestitures resulting from the market mitigation plan
will not take place until after the merger closes. The companies have proposed
to FERC that divestiture will occur within 18 months of the merger close. |
Q. |
Will any plants be retired? |
A. |
Under current FERC rules, plant retirements are not considered market
mitigation. However, the company does evaluate the economics of all of our
plants, and this practice will continue after the merger. |
Q. |
What about the nuclear baseload plants? Will they be sold? |
A. |
No. The companies will virtually divest the nuclear plants through a combination
of generation output swaps, long-term direct sales, and shorter-term sales
through an annual auction. The virtual divestiture concept increases
market participation, and the annual auction component has been designed to
coincide with the current New Jersey Basic Generation Service process (the
process by which New Jersey investor-owned utilities procure energy for its
customers). Under the proposed virtual divestiture, the new company
will remain the owner and NRC-licensed operator of these plants. |
Q. |
With respect to the nuclear capacity, why is it being sold in blocks of 25
MW? |
A. |
Doing so provides a wide array of parties an opportunity to procure rights to
baseload capacity. |
Q. |
Will any of the companies natural gas distribution assets need to be
sold? |
A. |
Since the gas businesses of both Exelon and PSEG are distribution businesses
that are regulated by state utility commissions, the companies do not foresee
the need to divest of any of the existing natural gas assets. |
Q. |
Who will determine how we will actually implement the proposed mitigation
being presented to FERC? |
A. |
FERC must approve our application. It may impose different terms and conditions
on the approval than we have proposed. The U.S. Department of Justice also will
review our application. In addition, New Jersey, |
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|
Pennsylvania,
and Illinois will review the applications, but we do not expect them to impose conditions
that pertain to wholesale market power mitigation.
|
Q. |
Which federal regulatory agencies need to approve the mitigation
plan? |
A. |
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In addition, the Department of Justice
has to review the transaction to ensure compliance with federal antitrust
provisions. |
Q. |
Doesnt PJM monitor market concentration? |
A. |
Yes. The PJM market monitor has the authority to identify and deter attempts by
market participants to exercise generation or transmission market power. FERC
requires, however, that the company mitigate in advance any market power issues
or concerns that are identified as part of the regulatory approval process. The
mitigation proposals are intended to do just that. Following the close of the
merger and the implementation of the mitigation plan, the PJM market monitor
will continue in its role, both with respect to Exelon Electric & Gas and
all other market participants. |
Important
information
Safe
Harbor statement
Safe Harbor
Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 This document
contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited
to, statements about the benefits of the business combination transaction involving
Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated and Exelon Corporation, including
future financial and operating results, the combined companys plans, objectives,
expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical or
current facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations
of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporateds and Exelon Corporations
management, are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and may differ
materially from actual future experience involving any one or more of such matters.
Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from
those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the timing of the contemplated
merger and the impact of any conditions imposed by regulators in connection
with their approval thereof; the failure of Public Service Enterprise Group
Incorporated and Exelon Corporation stockholders to make the requisite approvals
for the transaction; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully;
failure to quickly realize cost-savings from the transaction as a result of
technical, logistical, competitive and other factors; the effects of weather;
the performance of generating units and transmission systems; the availability
and prices for oil, gas, coal, nuclear fuel, capacity and electricity; changes
in the markets for electricity and other energy-related commodities; changes
in the number of participants and the risk profile of such participants in the
energy marketing and trading business; the effectiveness of our risk management
and internal controls systems; the effects of regulatory decisions and changes
in law; changes in competition in the markets we serve; the ability to recover
regulatory assets and other potential stranded costs; the outcomes of litigation
and regulatory proceedings or inquiries; the timing and success of efforts to
develop domestic and international power projects; conditions of the capital
markets and equity markets; advances in technology; changes in accounting standards;
changes in interest rates and in financial and foreign currency markets generally;
the economic and political climate and growth in the areas in which we conduct
our activities; and changes in corporate strategies. While we believe that our
forecasts and
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assumptions are reasonable,
we caution that actual results may differ materially. We intend the forward-looking
statements to speak only as of the time first made and we do not undertake to
update or revise them as more information becomes available. Additional factors
that could cause Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporateds and Exelon
Corporations results to differ materially from those described in the
forward-looking statements can be found in the 2003 Annual Reports on Form 10-K,
and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September
30, 2004, of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated and Exelon Corporation,
as such reports may have been amended, each filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission and available at the Securities and Exchange Commissions website,
www.sec.gov.
Additional Information
This communication is not a solicitation of a proxy from any security holder
of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated or Exelon Corporation. Exelon
Corporation intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration
statement that will include a joint proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant
documents to be mailed by Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated and
Exelon Corporation to their respective security holders in connection with
the proposed
merger of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated and Exelon Corporation.
WE URGE INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS TO READ THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS
AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL
CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PUBLIC SERVICE ENTERPRISE GROUP INCORPORATED,
EXELON CORPORATION AND THE PROPOSED MERGER. Investors and security holders
will be able to obtain these materials (when they are available) and other
documents
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission free of charge at the Securities
and Exchange Commissions website, www.sec.gov. In addition, a copy of
the joint proxy statement/prospectus (when it becomes available) may be obtained
free of charge from Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated, Investor
Relations, 80 Park Plaza, P.O. Box 1171, Newark, New Jersey 07101-1171, or
from Exelon
Corporation, Investor Relations, 10 South Dearborn Street, P.O. Box 805398,
Chicago, Illinois 60680-5398.
Participants in Solicitation
Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated, Exelon Corporation, their respective
directors and executive officers and other persons may be deemed to be participants
in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information
regarding Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporateds directors and
executive officers is available in its proxy statement filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission by Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated on March
10, 2004, and information regarding Exelon Corporations directors and
executive officers is available in its proxy statement filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission by Exelon Corporation on March 12, 2004. OTHER INFORMATION
REGARDING THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROXY SOLICITATION AND A DESCRIPTION OF THEIR
DIRECT AND INDIRECT INTERESTS, BY SECURITY HOLDINGS OR OTHERWISE, WILL BE CONTAINED
IN THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS TO BE FILED
WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
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