The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) Q1 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Steve Coughlin: Yes. So we — I mean we initially announced this exit a year ago. And — but really prior to that, we had already been significantly reducing our coal portfolio. So our coal portfolio at one point was around 22 gigawatts and we’re already down to 7%. So the reality is we’ve already executed on 2/3 of this program over the many years. And as we a year ago saw the pathway to meet our financial commitments and to fully exit coal, which we think is going to attract new investors to AES that have some bright line thresholds here. We saw that path. So I think we’ve made tremendous progress already, and we have visibility into how we’re going to exit the remaining assets, either through sales that we’ve announced, additional sales that we have not yet announced and then some of these conversions and retirement that will continue. So we feel very good about the program and very good about the earnings trajectory even post coal.

Richard Sunderland: But just on the numbers — sorry. Sorry, Andres.

Andres Gluski: No. Just what I would add is that just like we have simplified our portfolio, getting out of different markets over time. I think we’ve done it in a way that maximizes shareholder value. I think we’re doing the same with coal. So we could have perhaps accelerated this faster. But I think where you’re run and for example, the monetization, some years ago, the BHP contract in Chile shows that we’re really able to make money from the transition and tying this in a way that we can provide renewables to meet the energy demands of our clients, in some cases, batteries or hydro to meet the capacity or dispatchable need. So I just mentioned that we feel very good about the program, and we think we’re executing very well on it.

Richard Sunderland: Got it. Thank you. But just on the Warrior Run $357 million, $400 million is the low range of the 23 targets that gets you most of the way there? And then did you receive any proceeds on the quarter? Or is the rest either, I guess, Jordan or future announcements?

Steve Coughlin: We had — so also included in that number is the asset or the renewable business recycling. So we had the closure of that operating portfolio of renewable assets that capital into recycling it to new growth in renewable. So that’s an important part of the program here is not just exits of coal, but also the way we recycle capital. Once we’ve derisked projects, we brought them online, we’ve recognized tax credits. We sell them down to relatively low-risk type capital and improve both our returns as well as then help us support a higher growth rate in the renewables business. So that’s part of the asset sale program. And then we have the Jordan sale that has not yet been closed, but it’s been announced, and then there’s some additional possible sales and sell-downs in the works this year that could come into that number.

But as you point out, we’ve already made significant progress towards the target this year. So we feel very good about the target that we’ve laid out.

Richard Sunderland: Perfect. Well thank you for the time today. See you on Monday.

Steve Coughlin: See you on Monday.

Operator: Thank you Mr. Sunderland. The next question comes from the line of Durgesh Chopra with Evercore ISI. You may now proceed.

Durgesh Chopra: Hey good morning team. Thanks for taking my questions. Andres, just — can you comment on the new PPAs signed year-to-date. When I compare this to first quarter of last year that is 2022, it signed over a gig you’ve only signed 309 megawatts. I think in your commentary, you mentioned a couple of large contracts. So just maybe a little bit more color there? And are you confident that the 4 to 4.5 to 5.5 gigs per year signage, is that — are you still tracking well against that?