The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

Steve Fleishman: Okay. Thank you.

Operator: Our next question comes from the line of Gregg Orrill of UBS. Your line is now open. Please go ahead.

Gregg Orrill: Hi, thanks for taking my question. I just wanted to, sort of confirm where the credit goals are, sort of with the guidance update and the segment €“ the new segments that you’re thinking about? Sorry, if I’m getting ahead of my .

Steve Coughlin: No, no, no. No problem. Are you referring to the tax credit?

Andres Gluski: I think the credit rating, right?

Steve Coughlin: Credit rating, okay. We’ve been talking so much about tax credit. So, yes, the credit rating, certainly the BBB- is a constant constraint. And then we see likely improvement going forward, particularly as our business mix evolves to more long-term contracted renewables and more investment in the U.S. utilities. So, I would say, that’s going to be a driver of improvement to the overall profile and view on the source of where our cash is coming from going forward. The segments, there’s no €“ I can’t say too much about that right now. As we’ve been operating under the current segments, we’ll be moving to the new one soon and then talking about that on the call going forward, but the segments will make it very clear as to the sources of earnings and cash going forward and where the business is growing, frankly, much, much higher than 7% to 9% and where the business is shrinking, largely consistent with our decarbonization goals.

So, it will peel apart where that 7% to 9% has come from as well as go beyond .

Andres Gluski: Yes. So Gregg, in terms of the credit rating, we’re already more than 50% of our earnings are coming from the U.S. and a higher and higher percentage is coming from renewables. So, we already have a €“ if we’re growing 7% to 9%, that includes the dilution from getting out of coal. So, actually, our renewables are growing at a much higher rate, more like 10% to 12%. So, to put that in context, all of those things point to an improvement, as Steve was saying, in terms of the quality of the numbers beyond the metrics. So, again, we feel very confident in what we’ve said. This is a red line. We’re not going to drop below investment grade, and we’re going to continue to strengthen it.

Gregg Orrill: Thank you.

Operator: Thank you. Our next question comes from Ryan Levine of Citi. Your line is now open. Please go ahead.

Ryan Levine: Good morning. Hoping to follow-up on the change €“ in terms of the change in segmentation, maybe just to take a step back, what’s prompting the re-review of how you’re looking to disclose information? And is there anything that any re-review would signal strategically for the company?

Andres Gluski: No. I mean we really think this is a culmination of what we’ve been doing in terms of moving into renewables. And our business is long-term contracted. And what we’re seeing is a lot of this would make our business we feel more transparent and more comparable to other people’s businesses. So, that’s all I can say at this point, but it’s something that I think you guys will welcome because it gives greater transparency. And I think it makes more and more sense as, again, we transition more to renewables.

Ryan Levine: Okay. And in your guidance, you disclosed a step down from the LNG contribution for this calendar year. What are you assuming for like TTF Henry Hub spreads or upside or contribution from that portion of your contract portfolio?