8point3 Energy Partners Reports Fourth Quarter 2016 Results

8point3 Energy Partners LP  recently announced financial results for its fourth fiscal quarter ended November 30, 2016.

• Exceeded Q4 2016 revenue, net income and Adjusted EBITDA guidance
• Completed acquisition of minority stakes in SunPower’s Henrietta and First Solar’s Stateline projects
• Declared Q4 2016 distribution of $0.2490 per share, an increase of 3.5 percent over the Q3 2016 distribution
• Forecasts Q1 2017 distribution of $0.2565 per share, an increase of 3.0 percent compared to the Q4 2016 distribution

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016, 8point3 Energy Partners reported revenue of $14.5 million, net income of $4.2 million, adjusted EBITDA of $18.3 million and cash available for distribution (CAFD) of $20.4 million. The partnership’s fourth quarter 2016 CAFD results do not include approximately $6.0 million in network upgrade reimbursements that were expected to be received in the fourth quarter per the partnership’s existing interconnection agreement with a utility. The reimbursement was received shortly after the partnership’s fiscal year end and will be reflected in the partnership’s CAFD results in the first quarter of 2017.

“We continued to benefit from our high-quality solar portfolio as we met or exceeded most key financial metrics for the quarter while increasing our distribution rate for the sixth quarter in a row,” said Chuck Boynton, 8point3 Energy Partners CEO. “As of the end of November, our portfolio consisted of interests in 642-megawatts (MW) of U.S. solar generating assets including the acquisition of SunPower’s 49 percent minority interest in its 102-MW Henrietta project that we completed during the quarter. Also, we were pleased to close the acquisition of First Solar’s 34 percent minority interest in its 300-MW Stateline project on December 1, 2016 which brings our total portfolio to interests in 942-MW of assets as of today. The Henrietta and Stateline projects are expected to generate approximately $11 million and $32 million in annual cash distributions respectively and both have 20 year contract lives. We are pleased to add these assets to our portfolio as they are in line with our long-term strategic focus of acquiring solar assets with strong, cash flows with investment grade offtakes,” concluded Boynton.

Additionally, the partnership’s sponsors have proposed to remove the 100-MW El Pelicano project and the 179-MW Switch Station project from the right of first offer (ROFO) portfolio as the partnership will likely not acquire these projects during its 2017 fiscal year. The potential removal of these projects from the ROFO portfolio is subject to the approval of the partnership’s Board of Directors and its Conflicts Committee. Also, the Board of Directors of the partnership’s general partner declared a cash distribution for its Class A shares of $0.2490 per share for the fourth quarter. The fourth quarter distribution was paid on January 13, 2017 to shareholders of record as of January 3, 2017.

“Our solid fourth quarter results reflect the stability and strength of our asset portfolio,” said Bryan Schumaker, 8point3 Energy Partners chief financial officer. “We achieved key financial goals and feel that with our differentiated model, predictable cash flows from high quality solar assets, committed sponsor support and our recent project acquisitions, we remain well positioned to drive long term sustainable cash flows for our shareholders.”

Guidance

The partnership’s first quarter 2017 guidance is as follows: revenue of $9.3 million to $9.8 million, net loss of ($6.4) million to ($5.6) million, adjusted EBITDA of $11.8 million to $12.6 million, CAFD of $19.8 million to $20.3 million and a distribution of $0.2565 per share, a forecasted increase of 3.0 percent compared to the Q4 2016 distribution. The partnership’s fiscal year 2017 guidance is as follows: revenue of $63.3 million to $66.7 million, net income of $27.0 million to $32.6 million, Adjusted EBITDA of $106.5 million to $113.1 million and CAFD of $91.5 million to $101.0 million. The partnership also expects a distribution growth rate of 12 percent for fiscal year 2017.