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Capitalization

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Note 3 – Capitalization

Common Stock - During the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, there were 221,558 common shares ($12.4 million) and 21,001 common shares (approximately $0.9 million), respectively, issued under the Middlesex Water Company Investment Plan (Investment Plan). On January 2, 2019, the Company began offering shares of its common stock for purchase at a 5% discount to participants in the Investment Plan. In August 2019, the 200,000 share purchase limit established for the 5% discount program was reached and the program was concluded.

In September 2019, the Company determined it had inadvertently sold shares of its common stock through the Investment Plan from August 1, 2018 through September 3, 2019 (Eligible Period) after the registration statement covering sales through the Investment Plan had expired and therefore was no longer effective. Under applicable federal securities laws, participants in the Investment Plan who purchased shares of common stock have a right to rescind their Eligible Period purchases and require the Company to repurchase these shares for an amount equal to the price paid by the participant, less any dividends paid on the purchased shares, plus interest.

In October 2019, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a plan to voluntarily offer a right of rescission (Rescission Offer) to Investment Plan participants who purchased shares of the Company’s common stock during the Eligible Period. During the Eligible Period, Investment Plan participants purchased 232,643 shares at an average price of $55.79 per share.

On October 11, 2019, the Company filed a supplement to the Investment Plan prospectus (Prospectus Supplement) with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission registering the Rescission Offer and notifying eligible Investment Plan participants of the specific details of the Rescission Offer. By filing the Prospectus Supplement the 232,643 previously unregistered shares are deemed registered. Investment Plan participants have thirty (30) days from the notification date to decide to accept or reject the Rescission Offer. Based on the current market price of the Company’s common stock, the Company does not expect that the exercise of any applicable rescission rights under the Rescission Offer by participants will have a material impact on its results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2019, 3,000 shares (approximately $0.3 million) of the Company’s no par $8.00 Series Cumulative and Convertible Preferred Stock were converted into 41,142 shares of common stock.

In May 2019, Middlesex received approval from the NJBPU to issue and sell up to 1,500,000 shares of its common stock in one or more transactions through December 31, 2022. Sales of additional shares of common stock are part of the Company’s comprehensive financing plan to fund its multi-year utility plant infrastructure investment program. As described below in “Long-term Debt”, the NJBPU approved the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) debt funding component of the financing plan.

Long-term Debt - Subject to regulatory approval, the Company periodically issues long-term debt to fund its investments in utility plant and other assets. To the extent possible, the Company finances qualifying capital projects under State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan programs in New Jersey and Delaware. These government programs provide financing at interest rates that are typically below rates available in the broader financial markets. A portion of the borrowings under the New Jersey SRF is interest-free. Under the New Jersey SRF program, borrowers first enter into a construction loan agreement with the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (NJIB) at a below market interest rate. The current interest rate on construction loan borrowings is zero percent (0%). When construction on the qualifying project is substantially complete, NJIB will coordinate the conversion of the construction loan into a long-term securitized loan with a portion of the principal balance having a stated interest rate of zero percent (0%) and a portion of the principal balance at a market interest rate at the time of closing using the credit rating of the State of New Jersey. The current term of the long-term loans offered through the NJIB is up to thirty years. The current portion of the principal balance having a stated interest rate of zero percent (0%) is 75% with the remaining portion of 25% having a market based interest rate.

The NJIB generally schedules its long-term debt financings in May and November. Middlesex currently has two projects that are in the construction loan phase of New Jersey SRF program:

In April 2018, the NJBPU approved Middlesex’s request to participate in the NJIB loan program to fund the construction of a large-diameter transmission pipeline from the CJO water treatment plant and interconnect with our distribution system. Middlesex closed on a $43.5 million NJIB interest-free construction loan in August 2018. Through September 30, 2019, Middlesex has drawn a total of $30.2 million and expects to draw down the remaining proceeds through the first quarter of 2020.

In March 2018, the NJBPU approved Middlesex’s request to participate in the NJIB loan program to fund the 2018 RENEW Program, which is an ongoing initiative to eliminate all unlined water distribution mains in the Middlesex system. Middlesex closed on an $8.7 million NJIB construction loan in September 2018. Through September 30, 2019, Middlesex has drawn a total of $8.0 million and drew the remaining proceeds in October 2019.

The Company expects that the large-diameter transmission pipeline and the 2018 RENEW construction loans will be included in the NJIB May 2020 long-term debt financing program.

In May 2018, Middlesex repaid its RENEW 2017 interest-free construction loan by issuing to the NJIB first mortgage bonds in the amount of $9.5 million designated as Series 2018A ($7.1 million) and Series 2018B ($2.4 million). The interest rate on the Series 2018A bond is zero and the interest rate on the Series 2018B bond ranges between 3.0% and 5.0%. The final maturity date for both bonds is August 1, 2047, with scheduled debt service payments over the life of the loans.

In 2019, the NJIB de-obligated principal payments of $0.1 million on Series NN of the Company’s First Mortgage Bonds.

In order to help ensure adherence to its comprehensive financing plan, Middlesex received approval from the NJBPU in February 2019 to issue and sell up to $140 million of First Mortgage Bonds (FMB) through the NJEDA in one or more transactions through December 31, 2022. Because the interest paid to the bondholders is exempt from federal and New Jersey income taxes, the interest rate on debt issued through the NJEDA is generally lower than otherwise achievable in the traditional taxable corporate bond market. However, the interest received by the bondholder is subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax.

In August 2019, Middlesex priced and closed on a NJEDA debt financing transaction of $53.7 million by issuing FMBs designated as Series 2019A ($32.5 million at coupon interest rate of 4.0%) and Series 2019B ($21.2 million at coupon interest rate of 5.0%). The proceeds, including an issuance premium of $7.1 million, are being used to finance several projects under the Water For Tomorrow capital program initiated by the Company to upgrade and replace aging water utility infrastructure. The total proceeds of $60.8 million, initially recorded as Restricted Cash on the balance sheet, is held in escrow by a bond trustee and are drawn down by requisition for the qualifying projects. Through September 30, 2019, Middlesex has drawn a total of $7.6 million and currently expects to draw the remaining $53.2 million of proceeds, currently included in Restricted Cash, through the third quarter of 2021.

In March 2018, the DEPSC approved Tidewater’s request to borrow up to $0.9 million under the Delaware SRF program to fund the replacement of an entire water distribution system of a small Delaware community. Tidewater closed on the SRF loan in May 2018. In April 2019, Tidewater received approval from the DEPSC to increase the borrowing to $1.7 million based on revised project cost estimates. Tidewater closed on the additional SRF loan in October 2019 and immediately began drawing on the combined loan amount with expected draws continuing through the first quarter of 2020.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments - The following methods and assumptions were used by the Company in estimating its fair value disclosure for financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate that value. The carrying amounts reflected in the condensed consolidated balance sheets for cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables, accounts payable and notes payable approximate their respective fair values due to the short-term maturities of these instruments. The fair value of FMB and State Revolving Fund Bonds (collectively, the Bonds) issued by Middlesex is based on quoted market prices for similar issues. Under the fair value hierarchy, the fair value of cash and cash equivalents is classified as a Level 1 measurement and the fair value of notes payable and the Bonds in the table below are classified as Level 2 measurements. The carrying amount and fair value of the Bonds were as follows:

	September 30, 2019		December 31, 2018
	Carrying	Fair	Carrying	Fair
	Amount	Value	Amount	Value
Bonds	$151,361	$154,355	$101,411	$102,789

For other long-term debt for which there was no quoted market price and there is not an active trading market, it was not practicable to estimate their fair value (for details, including carrying value, interest rate and due date on these series of long-term debt, please refer to those series noted as “Amortizing Secured Note”, “State Revolving Trust Note” and “Construction Loans” on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Capital Stock and Long-Term Debt). The carrying amount of these instruments was $80.5 million and $61.5 million at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Customer advances for construction have carrying amounts of $22.7 million and $22.6 million at September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018, respectively. Their relative fair values cannot be accurately estimated since future refund payments depend on several variables, including new customer connections, customer consumption levels and future rate increases.