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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.
FORM U-57
NOTIFICATION OF FOREIGN UTILITY COMPANY STATUS
Filed under section 33(a) of the
Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended
EMPRESA DE ENERGIA DEL PACIFICO S.A. E.S.P.
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(Name of foreign company)
HOUSTON INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED
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(Name of filing company, if filed on behalf of a foreign utility company)
Item 1
The name of the entity claiming foreign utility company status is
Empresa de Energia del Pacifico S.A. E.S.P., a Colombian corporation ("EPSA"),
the business address of which is Carrera 57, No. 11-29, Cali, Valle, Colombia.
EPSA operates electric power generation, transmission and distribution
facilities in 37 municipalities in the Valle del Cauca region of southwestern
Colombia.
Based on publicly available information, the following is a summary
description of the facilities used by EPSA for the generation, transmission,
and distribution of electric energy for sale:
EPSA has a total nominal installed generation capacity of
approximately 869 MW. EPSA's transmission system is composed of
approximately 891 Km of 220 Kv and 115 Kv lines. EPSA's distribution
system is composed of approximately 7404 Km of 34.5 Kv and 13.2 Kv
lines. As of December, 1995, EPSA served a total of approximately
270,000 customers.
Based on publicly available information, the following persons hold,
directly or indirectly, five percent (5%) or more of any class of voting
securities of EPSA: Empresas Municipales de Cali, a municipal utility
providing power distribution services to the city of Cali and the neighboring
town and industrial park of Yumbo ("EMCALI"); Corporacion Autonoma Regional del
Valle del Cauca, a regional entity responsible for water and environmental
projects in Valle del Cauca, Colombia ("CVC"); and Departmento del Valle del
Cauca. Approximately 56% of the shares of EPSA currently owned by the Republic
of Colombia (the "Auctioned Shares") have been deposited in a special
privatization fund pending their sale pursuant to a public auction ("Auction").
The sale of the Auctioned Shares is expected to be completed on June 5, 1997.
Following closing of the Auction, the Auctioned Shares will be held directly or
indirectly by a consortium of investors comprised of subsidiaries or affiliates
of the following corporations: Houston Industries Energy, Inc. ("HI Energy")
and La Electricidad de Caracas SACA ("EDC").
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Item 2
The name of the domestic associate public-utility company is Houston
Lighting & Power Company, a Texas corporation ("HL&P"). The holding company of
HL&P is Houston Industries Incorporated, a Texas corporation ("HI"). HI owns
all of the outstanding voting stock of HL&P and HI Energy. HI Energy owns 50%
of the outstanding voting stock of Valle Energy Ventures, Inc., a Cayman Island
corporation ("Valle") and 100% of the outstanding voting stock of Colombian
Electricity Ventures, Inc., a Cayman Island corporation ("CEV"). It is
anticipated that Valle and CEV will acquire through the Auction 44.71% and 6%
of the Auctioned Shares, respectively. The remaining 6% of the Auctioned
Shares will be acquired by EDC. No portion of the purchase price for the
Auctioned Shares held by Valle or CEV will be paid by HL&P.
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SIGNATURE
The undersigned company has duly caused this statement to be signed on its
behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
HOUSTON INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED
By: /s/ Mary P. Ricciardello
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Mary P. Ricciardello
Vice President and Comptroller
(Principal Accounting Officer)
Date: May 30, 1997
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EXHIBIT INDEX
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<CAPTION>
EXHIBIT NO. DESCRIPTION
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<S> <C>
Exhibit 99.a The certification of the State of Texas required under
Section 33(a)(2) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act
of 1935, as amended.
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Exhibit 99.a
CERTIFICATE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS
UNDER SECTION 33(a)(2) OF THE
PUBLIC UTILITY HOLDING COMPANY ACT OF 1935
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Exhibit 99.a
November 12, 1992
Mr. Jonathan G. Katz
Secretary
Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20549
Dear Mr. Katz:
Houston Lighting & Power Company (HL&P), a subsidiary of Houston
Industries Incorporated (HII), a Texas corporation, has advised this Commission
that HII is considering participation in the privatization of EDELAP S.A., an
Argentine public utility company (EDELAP) and that HII may in the future
consider participation in other such activities with respect to foreign public
utility companies. In connection with such activities, HL&P has requested that
the Public Utility Commission of Texas (the Commission) provide to you the
certification contemplated in Section 33(a)(2) of the Public Utility Holding
Company Act of 1935 (15 U.S.C. 79 et. seq.), which section was added to that
Act by Section 715 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
As the State Commission having jurisdiction over the retail electric
rates of HII's public utility subsidiary, HL&P, please be advised that this
Commission:
(i) has the authority and resources to protect the ratepayers of
HL&P; and
(ii) intends to exercise such authority.
This certification is considered applicable with respect to an
acquisition of an interest in EDELAP and as to other foreign utility companies
in which HII seeks to obtain an ownership interest, but such certification is
expressly conditioned on and is subject to being revised or withdrawn by this
Commission as to any future acquisition. Houston Lighting & Power Company has
represented that they will timely inform this Commission of any efforts by HII
to seek an ownership interest in other foreign utility companies.
Sincerely,
/s/ Robert W. Gee
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Robert W. Gee
Chairman
BJS/sh
cc: William C. Weeden
Office of Public Utility Regulation
Securities and Exchange Commission
