| [GOODWIN PROCTER LETTERHEAD] | Yoel Kranz 617.570.1760 ykranz@goodwinprocter.com |
Goodwin Procter LLP Counselors at Law Exchange Place Boston, MA 02109 T: 617.570.1000 F: 617.523.1231 |
September 17, 2010
VIA EDGAR AND FACSIMILE TRANSMISSION (202.772.9361)
U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F. Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20549
Attn: Scott Anderegg
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This letter is submitted on behalf of Atlantic Power Corporation (the "Company") in response to comments received on September 13, 2010 from the Division of Corporate Finance (the "Staff") of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") with respect to the Company's registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-168855) (the "Equity Registration Statement") and registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-168856) (the "Debenture Registration Statement" and together with the Equity Registration Statement, the "Registration Statements"), each as filed with the Commission on August 16, 2010, as well as Amendment No. 1 to each Registration Statement as filed with the Commission on August 20, 2010. The Company is concurrently filing an Amendment No. 2 to the Equity Registration Statement and the Debenture Registration Statement (the "Equity Amendment No. 2" and the "Debenture Amendment No. 2," respectively, and collectively, the "Amendments No. 2"), which includes changes to reflect responses to the Staff's comments. The Company will separately deliver to you copies of Amendments No. 2, marked to show changes from the Registration Statements.
In addition, set forth below are the Company's responses to your comment letter. For your convenience, we have reproduced herein each of your numbered comments in bold font before the Company's response thereto. Unless otherwise indicated, page references in the descriptions of the Staff's comments refer to the Registration Statements, and page references in the responses refer to Amendments No. 2.
Registration Statement on Form S-l, File No. 333-168855
Response: Rule 11-01 of Regulation S-X requires the disclosure of pro forma financial information in specified instances, including certain business combinations, significant acquisitions and dispositions of assets, rollups, spinoffs and "other events or transactions . . . for which disclosure of pro forma financial information would be material to investors." We do not believe that any of these are applicable to the Company. While proceeds from the offerings will be used to fund (or repay indebtedness that was incurred to fund) an investment in two power projects, the two transactions are unrelated and do not, individually or in the aggregate, rise to the level of significance contemplated by Rule 11-01. Moreover, both of the relevant projects are in development and are not expected to begin operations until 2011 and 2012. Likewise, while a portion of the proceeds from the offerings are intended to be used to repay amounts drawn under the Company's revolving credit facility, this will be a relatively small amount ($20 million) in the context of the Company's capitalization and results.
We also note that the disclosure included under "Capitalization" on page 32 of the Equity Amendment No. 2 and page 36 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2 sets forth on a pro forma (or "as adjusted") basis the Company's capitalization after giving effect to (i) the receipt of net proceeds in the offerings, (ii) repayment of amounts outstanding under the credit facility and (iii) the incurrence of new convertible debt pursuant to the concurrent offering of debentures. We thus determined that further pro forma financial information would not be of material use to investors.
Prospectus Cover Page
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have removed this phrase from the cover of the prospectus in the Equity Amendment No. 2.
Response: We note the Staff's comment.
Table of Contents, page i
Response: In response to the Staff's comments, we have deleted the last two sentences of the penultimate paragraph on page i of both Amendments No. 2.
Prospectus Summary, page 1
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have significantly reduced the use of abbreviations for terms in Amendments No. 2. We note that there are certain abbreviations that are so widely used in the industry as to be well understood by the investing community at first glance (such as "MW", "PPA" and "FERC") and we have accordingly retained use of such abbreviations.
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Our Competitive Strengths, page 2
Response: In response to the Staff's comment we have revised our disclosure of "Competitive Strengths" on page 2 of both Amendments No. 2. We have also added a summary discussion of the principal challenges and risks facing the Company on page 6 of both Amendments No. 2.
Summary Historical Financial Information, page 9
Response: We have recalculated our diluted earnings per share amounts and these revised numbers are included on pages 9 and 33 of the Equity Amendment No. 2 and pages 10 and 37 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2. In response to the Staff's comment, we have also added footnotes to the tables on pages 9 and 33 of the Equity Amendment No. 2 and pages 10 and 37 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2 reconciling how diluted earnings per share in US$ and Cdn$ were computed.
Risk Factors, page 10
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have revised our disclosure on page 17 of the Equity Amendment No. 2 and page 18 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2 to quantify the amount of debt outstanding.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements, page 24
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have deleted references to the Litigation Reform Act on page 24 of the Equity Amendment No. 2 and page 28 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2. Please note that this should not be deemed a concession by the Company that the safe harbor for forward looking statements is not applicable.
Use of Proceeds, page 27
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Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have revised our disclosure on page 27 of the Equity Amendment No. 2 and page 31 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2 to disclose how we intend to prioritize our use of proceeds if either of the concurrent offerings is not successfully completed.
Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, page 33
Recent Accounting Pronouncements, page 64
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have updated our disclosure in on page 65 of the Equity Amendment No. 2 and page 68 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2 to reflect the adoption of the relevant pronouncements in fiscal 2010.
Where you can find more information, page 136
Response: We have corrected this typographical error on page 142 of the Equity Amendment No. 2.
Financial Statements, page F-l
Response: Please note that only audited financial statements have separately been provided in the Registration Statements for equity method investees. However, in accordance with Rule 3-09 of Regulation S-X, the report of independent accountants is provided only for those fiscal years in which either the first or third condition set forth in Rule 1-02(w) (substituting 20 percent for 10 percent) is met. Each of the separately provided financial statements in the Registration Statements is prefaced by a statement as to which reports of the independent accountants are included. For example, the combined financial statements of Gregory Partners, LLC and Gregory Power Partners, L.P. for the years ended December 2008 and 2007 state that they are presented without the related report of independent accountants for the year ended December 31, 2008 and that the report of independent accountants is presented for the year ended December 31, 2007 pursuant to the requirements of Rule 3-09 of Regulation S-X (please see page F-171 of both Amendments No. 2).
Atlantic Power Corp. Quarterly Financial Statements, page F-39
Consolidated Statements of Operations, page F-40
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Response: We have recalculated our diluted earnings per share amounts and these numbers are included on page F-40 of both Amendments No. 2. In our revised calculation, we excluded interest expense attributable to the convertible debentures from the calculation of our diluted earnings per share, as the effect to the diluted earnings per share was antidilutive. Please note that footnote 11 to our quarterly unaudited financial statements on page F-58 of both Amendments No. 2 describes the methodology we use to calculate US$ basic and diluted earnings per share and provides tabular disclosure that reconciles basic and diluted shares outstanding. We calculate Cdn$ basic and diluted earnings per share by converting the US$ using the average applicable exchange rates.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, page F-42
Response: We have not provided summarized income statement information for each unconsolidated subsidiary as of the six month periods ended June 30, 2010 and 2009, respectively, as no separate or group statements were required for the annual period ended December 31, 2009.
Note 9. Income Taxes, page F-55
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have revised our disclosure on page F-55 of both Amendments No. 2 to include a detailed explanation for the difference between the effective and statutory rate for the six months ended June 30, 2010. We have also added similar disclosure to Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations on page 42 of the Equity Amendment No. 2 and page 45 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2.
Item 17. Undertakings, page II-4
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have revised "Undertakings" on page II-5 of the Equity Amendment No. 2 and page II-4 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2 to include the undertakings located at Item 512(a)(6) of Regulation S-K.
Exhibit 5.1
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Response: We advise the Staff that counsel will re-file the opinion on the date of effectiveness of the Registration Statements.
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, the revised opinions filed as Exhibits 5.1 to Amendments No. 2 contain opinions rendered under the laws of British Columbia.
Registration Statement on Form S-l, File No. 333-168856
Response: As noted in our responses above, we have made all applicable changes and revisions in both Amendments No. 2.
Response: The form of first supplemental indenture has been filed as Exhibit 4.5 to the Debenture Amendment No. 2.
Response: We note the Staff's comment.
Prospectus Cover Page
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have included the requested disclosure in the Debenture Amendment No. 2 on the prospectus cover page and in the prospectus summary on page 8.
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges, page 30
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have revised our disclosure accordingly on page 32 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2.
Description of Debentures, page 123
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Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have revised our disclosure on pages 128 and 131 of the Debenture Amendment No. 2 to summarize the necessary regulatory approval.
Conversion Privilege, page 124
Response: In response to the Staff's comment, we have revised our disclosure on page 127 of Debenture Amendment No. 2 to describe in more detail how the debentures would be converted into property or other securities.
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We are forwarding a courtesy package to you. The courtesy package includes this letter and marked and unmarked copies of the Amendments No. 2. The marked copies show changes from the Amendments No. 1 to each of the Registration Statements filed with the Commission on August 20, 2010.
Please note that the Company acknowledges, and has authorized us to include in this letter, the following:
Notwithstanding your comments, in the event the Company requests acceleration of the effective date of the pending registration statements, it will furnish a written statement from the Company acknowledging that:
If you have any further questions concerning the Amendments No. 2, please contact me at 617.570.1760.
| Very truly yours, | ||
/s/ Yoel Kranz Yoel Kranz, Esq. Goodwin Procter LLP |
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