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  • 7/31/2019 Private Equity, Public Inequity: The Public Cost of Private Equity Takeovers of U.S. Water Infrastructure

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    Public InequityPrivate Equity,

    HE PUBLIC COST OF PRIVATE EQUITY TAKEOVERS OF U.S. WATER INFRASTRUCTU

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    Food & Water Watch works to ensure the ood, waterand fsh we consume is sae, accessible and sustainable

    So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink,

    we help people take charge o where their ood comes

    rom, keep clean, aordable, public tap water owing

    reely to our homes, protect the environmental quality

    o oceans, orce government to do its job protecting

    citizens, and educate about the importance o keeping

    shared resources under public control.

    Food & Water Watch Caliornia Ofce

    1616 P St. NW, Ste. 300 25 Stillman St., Ste. 200

    Washington, DC20036 San Francisco, CA 94107

    tel: (202) 683-2500 tel: (415) 293-9900

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    [email protected] [email protected]

    www.oodandwaterwatch.org

    Copyright August 2012 by Food & Water Watch.

    All rights reserved.

    This report can be viewed or downloaded

    at www.oodandwaterwatch.org.

    About Food & Water Watch

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    THE PUBLIC COST OF PRIVATE EQUITY TAKEOVERS OF U.S. WATER INFRASTRUCTURE

    Execuive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

    Privae Equiy Targes U.S. Waer and Sewer Sysems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

    Rate Hikes Follow Private Equity Deals: Social Dynamite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

    A errible deal in Sana Paula, Caliornia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Pushing Privaizaion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

    The inrasrucure privaizaion bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

    An indusry-backed deal in Chicago, Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

    Privatization as a Mega-Credit Card and Budget Gimmickry. . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

    Sheer olly in Nassau Couny, New York. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

    Financial Consultants Conlict o Interest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

    A rejeced gamble in Reno, Nevada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

    Publics Lack o Bargaining Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

    Eye-Waeringly High Prois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

    Squeezing Dry and Running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

    Leveraging Risks and Costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

    Gilding Inrastructure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

    Circumventing Income Taxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

    Lacking Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

    Recommendaions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

    Local Public Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

    Public-Public Partnerships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

    Increased Federal Funding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

    Reauthorization o Build America Bonds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

    Endnoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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    2 Food & Water Watch tXXXGPPEBOEXBUFSXBUDIPSH

    Executive Summary

    Invesmen bankers and oher major inancial players are

    increasingly ineresed in aking conrol o waer and sewer

    services across he Unied Saes. Privae equiy vehicles

    are armed wih more han $100 billion or inrasrucure

    worldwide. Alhough mos deals in he U.S. waer uiliy

    marke have involved exising privae secor companies,

    a number o und managers anicipae ha he ongoing

    iscal crisis will drive some governmens o privaize heirwaer inrasrucure. To make ha predicion a realiy,

    major inancial ineress are backing various governmen

    proposals ha aciliae privaizaion and privae inancing

    o public inrasrucure.

    This is an alarming developmen. Privae equiy players

    ypically ocus on shor-erm prois and may seek o lip

    asses afer driving down service qualiy and driving up

    prices. Households and businesses could end up paying

    more or inerior service.

    Key indings:

    There have been only hal a dozen sizable privae

    equiy akeovers o waer and sewer services in

    he Unied Saes, bu our new deals were nearing

    consummaion or awaiing regulaory approval in 2012.

    (See Table 1, page 4.)

    Major inancial irms are promoing large, complex and

    risky privaizaion deals, which essenially ac as high-

    ineres credi cards o inance budge shoralls and

    inrasrucure projecs. Cash-srapped governmens

    lack he bargaining power and know-how o properly

    negoiae hese deals.

    Privae equiy players have argeed annual reurns o

    a leas 1215 percen.

    Privae equiy players usually lip asses wihin a

    decade.

    Privae equiy akeovers end o be highly leveraged

    and risky.

    Privae equiy players are noorious ax avoiders and

    evaders. In he las ive years, or example, he Carlyle

    Group made more han $4 billion in proi bu paid an

    eecive income ax rae o only 2 percen.

    Privae equiy akeovers resric ransparency and

    accounabiliy.

    Given he risks and coss associaed wih privaizaion,

    governmens should no ranser conrol o heir waer

    and sewer services o invesmen bankers or oher privae

    ineress. Cash-srapped communiies can insead explorepublic-public parnerships o reduce he cos and enhance

    he perormance o heir public waer and sewer services.

    The ederal governmen can suppor public secor uili-

    ies by providing a dedicaed source o unding or he

    Drinking Waer and Clean Waer Sae Revolving Funds

    and by reauhorizing he Build America Bonds program.

    A renewed ederal commimen and responsible public

    managemen o our naions waer and sewer sysems are

    he bes ways o ensure sae and aordable service or all.

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    Private Equity, Public Inequityt5IF1VCMJD$PTUPG1SJWBUF&RVJUZ5BLFPWFSTPG648BUFS*OGSBTUSVDUVSF 3

    Private Equity Targets

    U.S. Water and Sewer Systems

    Privae equiy irms, invesmen banks and oher major

    inancial insiuions are argeing U.S. waer and sewer

    services or akeover. Since he mid-2000s, inves-

    men unds managed by inancial behemohs including

    JPMorgan Chase, Ausralian bank Macquarie and he

    Carlyle Group have assumed conrol o waer and sewersysems across he counry. (See Table 1 on page 4 or a

    lis o major ransacions.) These deals are par o a larger

    privae equiy push or inrasrucure worldwide.

    Alhough privae equiy irms and banks can inves heir

    own equiy in inrasrucure projecs, i is more common

    or hem o use capial pooled rom oher wealhy individ-

    uals and insiuions ino inrasrucure unds and similar

    vehicles ha hey manage.1 (See Table 2 on page 5 or he

    10 larges inrasrucure und managers.) As o January

    2012, privae equiy players had raised $186 billion hrough

    276 dieren inrasrucure unds and were seeking

    anoher $93 billion hrough 144 inrasrucure unds.2

    The privae equiy craze or global inrasrucure began

    around 2005.3 Afer plummeing because o he lae-2000s

    recession,4 invesor appeie picked up again in 2010.5

    (See Figure 1, page 5.) The economic downurn repuedly

    boosed he appeal o lower-risk projecs like inrasruc-

    ure. Invesing in inrasrucure is considered a deensive

    sraegy ha can proec agains marke lucuaions.

    Uiliies, in paricular, end o have relaively sable earn-

    ings because hey are naural monopolies wih sronggovernmen proecions.6 Perhaps or hose reasons, one

    survey o privae equiy irms in 2011 ound ha waer was

    he op area o ineres or invesmen managers,7 and in

    anoher survey, insiuional invesors ranked waer and

    wase managemen as he second leading area o ineres

    in he inrasrucure arena.8

    Rate Hikes Follow Private

    Equity Deals: Social Dynamite

    Alhough privae equiy players have raised a subsanial

    amoun o money or inrasrucure projecs, his capial

    is no cheap. Privae secor inancing especially equiy

    invesmen is much more expensive han governmen

    borrowing.71 Privae equiy invesors expec o be well

    compensaed, and he public will pay ha price hrough

    rae hikes. The abiliy o increase user ees orms one crux

    o privae equiys ineres in aking over public inra-

    srucure.72 Bu, as Thomas Puter, ormer chie execuive

    o Allianz Capial Parners, said during a 2011 conerence

    abou inrasrucure invesmen, This is social dyna-

    mie.73

    Indeed, privae equiy akeovers are a bad deal or hepublic. A governmen audi o privaely inanced projecs

    in he Unied Kingdom concluded, Our indings sugges

    ha he public secor may ofen be paying more han is

    necessary or using equiy invesmen.74

    A terrible deal in Santa Paula, California

    In 2008, Sana Paula, Cali., privaized he design,

    consrucion, inancing and operaion o a new $65 million

    waer reclamaion plan. Alinda Capial Parners inanced

    he aciliy, which PERC Waer Corp. agreed o build and

    operae under a 30-year deal.75 Alhough privaizaionadvocaes poin o he arrangemen as an example o

    how privae capial can be deployed in he waer secor,76

    he ciys ormer inance direcor John Qinn called i

    The Macquarie ModelIn the mid-1990s, the Macquarie Group, an Australian bank, pioneered the model of using private equity from insti-

    tutional investors to buy roads and utilities.9 Since then, it has exported the model around the world.10 As of 2011, the

    Macquarie Group managed 95 infrastructure businesses in 23 countries,11 including companies that provided water

    services to more than 8 million households worldwide.12

    WVUVWZDWHUDFTXLVLWLRQZDVLWVSXUFKDVHRI6RXWK(DVW:DWHULQWKH8QLWHG.LQJGRP13 Then, in 2006, it led theFRQVRUWLXPWKDWSXUFKDVHG7KDPHV:DWHU 14WKHODUJHVWZDWHUDQGVHZHUFRPSDQ\LQ(QJODQGDQG:DOHV 15 Five years

    ODWHU0DFTXDULHEHJDQDSLHFHPHDOVHOORRILWVVWDNHLQ7KDPHV:DWHUVHOOLQJSHUFHQWRIWKHFRPSDQ\WRD8QLWHG

    $UDE(PLUDWHVVRYHUHLJQZHDOWKIXQGSHUFHQWWR&KLQDVVRYHUHLJQZHDOWKIXQG16DQGSHUFHQWWRD8.SHQVLRQ

    fund.17

    0DFTXDULHHQWHUHGWKH86ZDWHUPDUNHWLQZLWKWKHSXUFKDVHRI$TXDULRQ:DWHU&RPSDQ\ 18 (See Table 1, page

    DQG)LJXUHSDJHWZDVWKHUVWLQYHVWPHQWRILWVELOOLRQ86LQIUDVWUXFWXUHIXQG19 At the time, Macquarie

    Infrastructure said that it also sought long-term concessions of public wastewater systems and planned to target cash-

    strapped cities and states.200DFTXDULHDQQRXQFHGDQHZELOOLRQ1RUWK$PHULFDQLQIUDVWUXFWXUHIXQGLQ 21

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    4 Food & Water Watch tXXXGPPEBOEXBUFSXBUDIPSH

    YEAR PRIVATE EQUIT Y PLAYER DE AL T YPESELLER OR

    CONTRACTORVALUE TARGET

    200622$*+LJKVWDU&DSLWDO/3

    via Hydro Star23

    Acquisition of

    privately held

    water company

    1XRQ%924

    (Dutch utility

    company)25

    PLOOLRQ

    (purchase

    price)26

    8WLOLWLHVQFVHUYLQJPRUH

    than 300,000 water and sewer

    FXVWRPHUVLQVWDWHV

    200628

    %&QYHVWPHQW0DQDJHPHQW

    &RUSDQG&$&DSLWDO0DQDJH -

    PHQW&RYLD%&/WG 29

    &RUL[

    Acquisition of

    privately held

    water company

    .LQGHU0RUJDQ

    QF86HQHUJ\

    company)30

    PLOOLRQ

    (purchase

    price)31

    50% of Fairbanks Sewer

    :DWHUQFLQ$ODVND 32via purchase of Terasen

    :DWHUDQG8WLOLW\6HUYLFHV33

    ZKLFKZDVUHQDPHG&RUL[34

    (Acquired the rest of Fairbanks

    6HZHU:DWHU&RPSDQ\IURP

    private investors in 200935)

    200736

    0DFTXDULH%DQN via Macquarie

    8WLOLWLHVQF38 (see Figure 3 on

    page 12 for ownership structure)

    Acquisition of

    privately held

    water company

    .HOGD*URXS

    %ULWLVKZDWHU

    company)39

    PLOOLRQ

    (purchase

    price)40

    $TXDULRQ:DWHU&RPSDQ\

    H[FOXGLQJ1

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    Private Equity, Public Inequityt5IF1VCMJD$PTUPG1SJWBUF&RVJUZ5BLFPWFSTPG648BUFS*OGSBTUSVDUVSF 5

    a errible deal. Qinn old he rade publicaion Public

    Works Financingin 2009 ha he ciy inended o reinance

    he projec wih municipal bonds in 2013, adding ha unil

    hen, were going o be paying premium prices o und

    heir prois.77

    Alhough Alinda had no received any waer deal since

    Sana Paula,78 in 2010, afer closing a $4.1 billion inrasruc-

    ure und, Alindas managing parner old Reutersha

    increased privaizaion o U.S. inrasrucure was an inevi-

    able rend as municipaliies seek new unding sources.79

    Alinda, in collaboraion wih a Black & Veach subsidiary,

    submited a proposal in 2011 or a 30-year lease o hewaer, sewer and elecric sysems o Gardner, Kansas.80

    Pushing PrivatizationPrivae equiy akeovers o waer and sewer sysems

    all ino wo broad caegories: (1) acquisiions o exising

    privae secor waer companies, and (2) privaizaions o

    governmen uiliies hrough public-privae parnerships

    or asse sales. In general, privae equiy players have had

    more success aking over waer and sewer sysems ha

    were already privaely owned (see Table 1, page 4), bu i

    governmen inances remain weak, privae equiy players

    believe ha privaizaions will become more rampan.86

    The infrastructure privatization bank87

    In an apparen atemp o exploi he lagging recovery o

    he public secor, various banks and privae equiy irms

    RANK FUND MANAGERNUMBER OF FUNDS(closed and in market)

    TOTAL CAPITAL(raised and targeted)

    1 0DFTXDULHQIUDVWUXFWXUHDQG5HDO$VVHWVSDUWRIWKH0DFTXDULH*URXS81 19 ELOOLRQ

    2*OREDOQIUDVWUXFWXUH3DUWQHUV

    IRXQGHGE\&UHGLW6XLVVHDQG*HQHUDO(OHFWULF822 ELOOLRQ

    3 $UF/LJKW&DSLWDO3DUWQHUV 5 ELOOLRQ

    4 $OLQGD&DSLWDO3DUWQHUV 3 ELOOLRQ

    5 GS Infrastructure Investment Group (part of Goldman Sachs)83 2 ELOOLRQ

    6 +LJKVWDU&DSLWDOIRUPHUO\DOLDWHGZLWK$PHULFDQQWHUQDWLRQDO*URXS 84 4 ELOOLRQ

    7 (QHUJ\&DSLWDO3DUWQHUV 3 ELOOLRQ

    8 55(()QIUDVWUXFWXUHSDUWRI'HXWVFKH%DQN*URXS85 2 ELOOLRQ

    9 %URRNHOG$VVHW0DQDJHPHQW 4 ELOOLRQ

    10 Innisfree ELOOLRQ

    2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

    Figure 1.Private Equity Appetite for Infrastructure:Annual Capital Raised by Unlisted Infrastructure Funds

    SOURCE: %UDGEURRN(OOLRW)XQGUDLVLQJPreqin Infrastructure Spotlight, vol. 4, iss. 5. May 2012 at 6.

    $50

    $40

    $30

    $20

    $10

    0CapitalRaised(b

    illionsUSD)

    Table 2. Ten Largest Infrastructure Fund Managers, as of January 2012

    SOURCE: 'DYLV(PPDQIUDVWUXFWXUH*3VPreqin Infrastructure Spotlight, vol. 4, iss. 1. January 2012 at 11.

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    6 Food & Water Watch tXXXGPPEBOEXBUFSXBUDIPSH

    worked wih allied oicials and groups o promoe priva-

    izaion and privae invesmen as viable ways o address

    inrasrucure needs and budge shoralls.88 For example,

    inance behemohs including he Carlyle Group,89 Goldman

    Sachs90 and Swiss bank UBS suppored a naional inra-

    srucure bank,91 which would promoe privae invesmen

    in U.S. inrasrucure hrough public-privae parnerships.92

    These invesors oreseeably would benei rom such an

    insiuion.

    Rober Wol, chairman o UBS Group Americas and

    presiden o UBS Invesmen Bank,93 has been a prominenproponen o a naional inrasrucure bank. According o

    a 2010 aricle in he Wall Street Journal, Mr. Wols chie

    obsession, Whie House oicials say, is pushing a naional

    inrasrucure bank ha local governmens and he privae

    secor could use o und big projecs like bridges and

    waer-reamen plans.94

    Wol, a gol buddy and campaign undraiser or Presiden

    Barack Obama,95 has had ample opporuniy o prosely-

    ize his ideas. Obama appoined Wol o his Economic

    Recovery Advisory Board in 200996

    hree monhs aferUBSs asse managemen arm closed a $1.5 billion inra-

    srucure und97 and hen o his Council on Jobs and

    Compeiiveness in 2011.98 Boh commitees recommended

    privae capial invesmen in inrasrucure, a naional

    inrasrucure bank and public-privae parnerships.99

    An industry-backed deal in Chicago, Illinois

    Alhough he Whie Houses inrasrucure bank proposal

    was deemed dead on arrival in 2011,100 Chicago decided

    o be he guinea pig or a smaller-scale version. Rahm

    Emanuel Obamas ormer chie o sa and curren

    mayor o Chicago pushed hrough he Chicago Inra-

    srucure Trus ha will combine a small amoun o ciy

    capial wih capial rom banks and oher privae inves-

    ors (including Ciibank NA, Cii Inrasrucure Invesors,

    Macquarie Inrasrucure and Real Asses Inc., J.P. Morgan

    Asse Managemen Inrasrucure Invesmen Group and

    Ullico) o inance more han $1 billion o public works proj-ecs.101Inrastructure Investor, a rade magazine, characer-

    ized he plan as an indusry-backed deal o esablish PPPs

    [public-privae parnerships] as a poliically and inancially

    viable business.102

    The ciys primary moivaion appeared o be he desire o

    ake deb o ciy books o give he illusion o reducing is

    liabiliies.103 We have a ool here ha akes some o he

    pressure o axpayers, Emanuel claimed. Use somebody

    elses money or a change, raher han heirs.104 In he real

    world, however, banks do no provide ree lunches. Chica-goans will have o repay he privae capial invesmen

    wih ineres hrough user ees.105 The ciys chie inancial

    oicer admited ha privae invesmen inancing could be

    more expensive han radiional governmen borrowing.106

    Noneheless, he ciy council signed o on Emanuels plan

    in 2012.107

    Privatization as a Mega-Credit Card

    and Budget Gimmickry

    The inance indusry seemed o be encouraging cash-

    srapped governmens o use privaizaion as a mega-credi card o inance inrasrucure projecs.108 As

    researchers said in a repor or he Associaion o Char-

    ered Ceriied Accounans, Jus as wih a credi card,

    however, he ineres raes have been relaively high and a

    some poin he debs have o be paid o. 109

    Some localiies have even sough o use privaizaion as a

    one-sho rick o ill a budge gap. These arrangemens are

    iscally irresponsible and would likely increase long-erm

    coss or households and local businesses.110 The New York

    Sae Comprollers Oice called his ype o deal budgegimmickry because i provides a shor-erm cash benei

    while pushing coss o he uure and poenially increasing

    public deb.111 Reliance on one-sho revenue increases

    long-erm borrowing coss and can hur axpayers.112

    In a repor abou wasewaer privaizaion, he U.S.

    Environmenal Proecion Agency explained ha he

    paymen ha a governmen receives or privaizing a sewer

    sysem is a loan rom he privae eniy which mus be

    IMAGE COURTESY OF J. BENOIST / COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

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    Private Equity, Public Inequityt5IF1VCMJD$PTUPG1SJWBUF&RVJUZ5BLFPWFSTPG648BUFS*OGSBTUSVDUVSF 7

    repaid wih ineres by he wasewaer reamen users in

    he orm o addiional user ees.113 I also characerized he

    governmen proceeds rom such a ransacion as addi-

    ional deb he wasewaer reamen users mus repay.114

    I coninued, I a local or sae governmen wans o

    recoup all o is invesmen in a aciliy and ses a conces-

    sion ee or sales price o relec ha amoun, he resuling

    annual coss o he privae eniy could be very large and

    may resul in signiicant increases in user eesor all hewasewaer users (emphasis added).115

    Sheer folly in Nassau County, New York

    In 2012, Nassau Couny, N.Y., proposed leasing is sewer

    sysem as par o wha he couny execuive called a deb

    reducion and sewer sabilizaion plan.116 The couny

    seleced Unied Waer o run he sewers and Morgan

    Sanley o serve as a inancial advisor. For is par, Morgan

    Sanley would receive a leas $5 million o help selec he

    privae invesor ha would supposedly pay he couny

    upward o $750 million or he lease.117

    Credi raing agencies viewed he privaizaion plan

    unavorably because i was a one-sho ploy ha ailed

    o address he counys underlying iscal problems.118

    For similar reasons, he Nassau Couny Inerim Finance

    Auhoriy, a sae-appoined oversigh board, rejeced he

    counys conrac wih Morgan Sanley in hopes o killing

    he lease alogeher.119

    In a prepared saemen, he auhoriys direcor George

    Marlin lambased he proposed lease: As or he Counys

    so-called Deb-Reducion Plan, in my 35 years as aninvesmen banker, I have never come across such an

    ill-conceived plan.120 Marlin called he privaizaion an ill-

    conceived backdoor borrowing scheme ha was akin o

    using a credi card wih a 15 percen annual ineres rae o

    pay o a home morgage loan ha had a 4 percen annual

    ineres rae.121 In shor, he said he plan was sheer olly.122

    )LQDQFLDO&RQVXOWDQWV&RQLFWRIQWHUHVW

    In addiion o managing privaizaion businesses, privae

    equiy players may also have divisions ha ac as inancial

    advisors o local governmens on privaizaion deals.123

    For example, wih he inancial advice o Morgan Sanley,

    Akron, Ohio, pursued a long-erm lease o is sewers

    unil residens voed down he scheme in 2008.124 Morgan

    Sanley was no sranger o inrasrucure privaizaion,125

    and i has since enered he waer secor. In 2012, Morgan

    Sanley Inrasrucure Parners and a Prudenial-managed

    inrasrucure und purchased a conrolling sake in a U.K.

    waer company.126

    Occasionally, hese inancial irms even approach public

    oicials wih unsolicied oers o advise hem on need-

    lessly complex sopgap measures or budge shoralls.

    An aricle in Governingmagazine said abou alernaive

    inancing schemes or iscal gaps, Some o hese soluions

    may be brough o heir atenion by invesmen bankers

    who come o he able armed wih an array o exoic

    and ofen diicul-o-undersand inancing ools.127

    These advisors are no imparial judges. Even when hey

    canno bid on he privaizaion projec isel, hey sill have

    a srong incenive o push hrough a big deal because heir

    compensaion ofen depends on i. Their paymen ypically

    includes a success-based ee ha hey receive only i

    he privaizaion goes hrough. Because his ee is usually

    a percen o he ransacion value,128 he advisors have a

    srong inancial incenive o recommend he bigges deal

    possible, even i i were a errible deal or he communiy.

    A rejected gamble in Reno, Nevada

    In July 2008, Goldman Sachs approached he ciy o

    Reno, Nev., wih an oer o ac as a inancial advisor on a

    long-erm lease o he Truckee Meadows Waer Auhoriy,

    he waer provider or he area.129 The ciy was led o

    believe ha a 50-year deal could have eched as much

    as $165 million in cash.130 Goldman Sachs would have

    charged a ransacion ee equaling a percenage o oal

    ransacion value plus he amoun o any required capial

    expendiures during he irs 10 years o he deal. Tha

    percenage increased wih he ransacion value.131 I he

    ransacion did no go hrough, he invesmen bank wouldhave received no paymen.132 This would have given he

    company a srong inancial incenive o push hrough he

    larges deal possible.

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    8 Food & Water Watch tXXXGPPEBOEXBUFSXBUDIPSH

    Afer he waer board voed o explore his idea, he uil-

    iys general manager resigned in proes.133 The ollowing

    week, afer considerable public opposiion o he lease

    idea, he board unanimously voed o rescind is earlier

    voe, keeping he sysem in public hands.134 As residen

    Fred Thalke old he uiliy board, Gambling wih wha is

    inarguably he mos imporan asse in his communiy is

    no somehing ha should be endorsed.135

    A monh earlier, Mark Florian, who was head o Goldman

    Sachss Inrasrucure Banking Group a he ime, esi-

    ied a a congressional hearing in suppor o a naional

    inrasrucure bank and privaizaion, among oher hings.

    Public-privae parnerships are also an opporuniy,

    Florian said. We should encourage hese srucures since

    our own U.S. pension plans are now ineresed in invesing

    in hem.136 As o March 2012, Goldman Sachss inrasruc-

    ure und had raised more han $10 billion.137

    3XEOLFV/DFNRI%DUJDLQLQJ3RZHUWhen local governmens explore waer privaizaion under

    iscal duress, hey are especially vulnerable o being misled

    by privae ineress. A cash-srapped municipaliy can have

    diiculy aording adequae legal and oher assisance

    necessary o evaluae and negoiae a deal.138 Even wihou

    iscal pressure, municipaliies usually lack he skills neces-

    sary o eecively negoiae a privaizaion conrac or

    waer and sewer uiliies. According o John Zielger in he

    Public Contract Law Journal, Local governmens around

    he counry, however, are legally ill-equipped o ener ino

    high-value, long-erm concession conracs.139

    Local governmens, especially iscally sressed ones, have

    less bargaining power han naional or mulinaional

    companies. This problem is exacerbaed when he priva-

    izaion deals involve large privae inance players.140 I

    would never be on he ciy manager in ha case, a ciy

    advising irm old Governingmagazine.141 For example,

    afer Chicago privaized is parking meers o a Morgan

    Sanley-led consorium, meer raes quadrupled in some

    areas and changes in policy ouraged consumers. Puting

    us agains he invesmen banks in a deal like ha is likehaving litle leaguers play he New York Yankees, Chicago

    Alderman Thomas Allen old Business Week.142

    (\H:DWHULQJO\+LJK3URWV

    Privae equiy players may use heir greaer bargaining

    power o ge lucraive deals. Many privaizaions include

    governmen guaranees or privae invesors or allow

    renegoiaions afer he governmen selecs he winning

    bid. Because o hese provisions, a irm may low-ball is

    bid or a privaizaion projec by using, or example, overly

    opimisic waer use and demand projecions.143 In his

    siuaion, he governmen selecs a irm expecing subsan-

    ial savings bu ends up paying more o compensae he

    irm when acual revenues do no mee he irms rosy

    projecions.

    Privae equiy players may also ry o inlae heir reurnsby convincing governmens ha heir coss are higher

    han hey acually are by using pessimisic inancial

    projecions.144 The irms may use he semblance o risk

    assumpion o exaggerae capial coss and demand higher

    ees rom he public.145 In pracice, privae operaors and

    invesors end o be risk-averse and expec o be well

    compensaed or any risk hey do assume.146 They could

    seek o pass on exra coss o consumers by increasing

    raes or reducing service level.147

    Wih argeed reurns o a leas 12 o 15 percen,148

    privae equiy unds expec proi levels ha are oohigh o be pracical and useul or mos waer and sewer

    uiliies.149 This is apparen in counries wih more experi-

    ence wih privaely inanced inrasrucure. For example,

    a U.K. Parliamen invesigaion o equiy invesmen in

    privaized inrasrucure projecs concluded in 2012 ha

    privae invesors were making excessively high reurns,

    indicaing he counrys privae inance model was

    inappropriae or uure public works projecs.150 Upon

    releasing hese indings, Margare Hodge, who chaired he

    commitee ha conduced he sudy, called or an end o

    he era o invesors receiving eye-waeringly high rewards

    while aking ever decreasing risks.151

    Squeezing Dry and Running

    Privae equiy invesors ofen sell heir sake in privaized

    inrasrucure projecs beore he end o a conrac wih

    governmen. In he Unied Kingdom, ypical reurns o

    hese sales have averaged beween 15 percen and 30

    percen and reached as much as 60 percen in some

    cases.152 A European Services Sraegy Uni repor on equiy

    sales in U.K. public-privae parnership projecs concluded,[T]he very high level o prois earned by consrucion

    companies and banks provides urher evidence ha PPP

    [public-privae parnership] projecs are litle more han

    money-making mechanisms or he privae secor.153

    Indeed, many privae equiy unds have shor invesmen

    horizons, invesing in individual projecs or less han a

    decade beore resale.154 For example, Alinda Inrasrucure

    Fund II had a 10-year und horizon and a arge inernal

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    Private Equity, Public Inequityt5IF1VCMJD$PTUPG1SJWBUF&RVJUZ5BLFPWFSTPG648BUFS*OGSBTUSVDUVSF 9

    rae o reurn o 20 percen.155 Highsar Capial decided o

    sell o Uiliies, Inc., a large U.S. waer company, six years

    afer acquiring i.156 (See Table 1, page 4.)

    This shor-erm ocus can conlic wih he public ineres,

    especially when invesors own waer uiliies.157 As credi

    raing agency Sandard & Poors warned, Regulaed

    inrasrucure asses do no ypically lend hemselves o

    operaional urnaround or inancial resrucuring wihinhe hree-o-ive-year invesmen period ypically adoped

    by such [privae equiy] players.158

    Privae invesors use a variey o acics o achieve hese

    rapid earnings. Afer a privae equiy akeover, a waer

    uiliy may undergo dramaic resrucuring,159 and he

    holding company may issue a special dividend declaraion

    o he equiy parners, reurning he equiy invesmen

    o he invesors.160 The deb necessary o pay premiums

    o sockholders o he arge company could weaken he

    pos-acquisiion company, according o a repor or he

    Naional Regulaory Research Insiue.161

    Leveraging Risks and CostsPrivae equiy players ypically pay or waer sysems and

    oher projecs by leveraging a small amoun o equiy

    raised rom privae invesors wih a large amoun o loans

    and oher deb.162 Leveraging borrowing money o

    &RQVLGHUDPLOOLRQDFTXLVLWLRQRIDZDWHUXWLOLW\

    WKDWKDVDQDQQXDORSHUDWLQJLQFRPHRIPLOOLRQ7KHQDQFHVRIWKLVGHDOFDQYDU\VXEVWDQWLDOO\GHSHQGLQJRQ

    the buyer.

    7KHDYHUDJHSXEOLFO\WUDGHG86ZDWHUXWLOLW\FRPSDQ\

    has a capital structure of around 50 percent debt to

    50 percent equity, and thus could borrow money to

    QDQFHKDOIRIWKHSXUFKDVHSULFHDQGLQYHVWLWVRZQ

    equity to pay for the other half. A private equity vehicle,

    on the other hand, could leverage its equity investment

    by using debt to pay for 90 percent of the acquisition.Such leveraging would likely increase the interest rate on

    bonds and other loans.

    Assuming that the interest rate on debt would increase

    from 5 percent to 6 percent, and with everything else

    HTXDOOHYHUDJLQJWULSOHVWKHDFTXLULQJFRPSDQ\VUDWHRI

    return on equity, while reducing its income tax burden by

    more than a third. (See Table 3.)

    (IN MILLIONS OF DOLLARS)PUBLICLY TR ADEDWATER COMPANY

    PRIVATE EQUITYHOLDING COMPANY

    D&RVWRIGHEW 5% 6%

    Capital Structure

    (b) Debt

    F(TXLW\ + +

    (d) Total purchase price

    Income Statement INCREASE (DECREASE)WITH LEVERAGING(e) Operating income

    (f) Debt expensea DIFFERENCE PERCENT

    (g) Income tax expense

    b

    (39%)K1HWLQFRPH

    L5DWHRIUHWXUQRQHTXLW\c 9%d 28% 19%

    Table 3.6LPSOLHGEDODQFHVKHHWFRPSDULVRQRIDPLOOLRQDFTXLVLWLRQby a publicly traded water company and a private equity holding company

    $GDSWHGIURPDQH[DPSOHLQ+LOO6WHSKHQ*1DWLRQDO5HJXODWRU\5HVHDUFKQVWLWXWH3ULYDWH(TXLW\%X\RXWVRI3XEOLF8WLOLWLHV3UHSDUDWLRQIRU

    5HJXODWLRQV'HFHPEHUDWWR

    NOTES: a 'HEWH[SHQVHFRVWRIGHEWGHEW>OLQHIOLQHDOLQHE@

    b QFRPHWD[H[SHQVHRSHUDWLQJLQFRPHGHEWH[SHQVHDYHUDJHLQFRPHWD[UDWHLQWKHZDWHUXWLOLW\LQGXVWU\ >OLQHJOLQHHOLQHI@

    c 5DWHRIUHWXUQRQHTXLW\QHWLQFRPHHTXLW\>OLQHLOLQHKOLQHF@

    d This conforms with industry statistics. The water utilit y industry as a whole has an expected rate of return on equity RISHUFHQWWRSHUFHQWIURPWR

    How Leveraging Can Increase Investor Returns

    While Minimizing Income Tax Responsibility

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    10 Food & Water Watch tXXXGPPEBOEXBUFSXBUDIPSH

    inance deals and srech equiy capial is an inegral

    aspec o privae equiy deals; i can boos invesor reurns

    while lowering he eecive income ax rae.163 (See box on

    page 9 or an example.)

    Privae equiy deals in inrasrucure are ofen highly

    leveraged. In he Unied Kingdom, abou 90 percen o

    he unding or a ypical privaely inanced inrasruc-

    ure projec was rom deb.

    164

    Similarly, one invesmenmanagemen irm recommended leveraging invesmens in

    waer inrasrucure wih 60 percen o 90 percen deb.165

    Highly leveraged deals are risky and can increase long-

    erm borrowing coss.166 In ac, Sandard & Poors warned

    in 2006 ha privaizing asses o global inrasrucure

    unds could resul in a downgraded credi raing because

    inrasrucure unds were increasingly highly lever-

    aged.167 As risk increases, he company mus pay higher

    ineres raes o debors and higher reurns o invesors,168

    and he deb used o inance he acquisiion could impair

    he uiliys abiliy o inance uure improvemen projecs,especially i is bond raing is downgraded.169

    According o KPMG Inernaional, Excessive or poorly

    srucured deb could cause he privae eniy inancial

    sress, increasing he need or a governmen akeover

    should he operaor deaul.170 I capial markes change

    and long-erm ederal ineres raes rise, he privae equiy

    irm could have problems reinancing is shor-erm acqui-

    siion deb, increasing he risk o deaul.171

    Leveraging generally does no occur on he books o a

    regulaed uiliy bu a a higher corporae level. When

    he deb is held a he holding company level, i gives he

    alse appearance ha he equiy buyou does no change

    he uiliys inancial risk and ha he paren holds all he

    addiional risk.172 This is inaccurae. The uiliy remains he

    source o cash lows o repay ha deb,173 and raepayers

    ulimaely pay or he associaed risks and coss.174

    Gilding Infrastructure

    When privae equiy players acquire waer and sewer

    sysems, i makes more inancial sense o keep he deb onhe books o he holding company insead o he acquired

    uiliy company because a regulaed waer uiliys proi

    depends on he amoun o equiy i has invesed in inra-

    srucure. (See Figure 2.)

    Sae public uiliy commissions regulae he raes o

    invesor-owned waer and sewer uiliies. The regulaors

    allow he companies o charge raes o recoup deb coss,

    axes and operaing expenses and o earn a reurn on heir

    equiy invesmen.179 Overcompensaing sockholders

    The Carlyle Groups Water Strategy7KH&DUO\OH*URXSWRRNLWVUVWIRUD\LQWRWKH86ZDWHU

    XWLOLW\LQGXVWU\LQZLWKWKHSXUFKDVHRI3DUN:DWHU

    &RPSDQ\3DUN:DWHU&RPSDQ\ZKLFKKDGEHHQD

    FORVHO\KHOGSULYDWHFRPSDQ\RZQHGDOPRVWH[FOXVLYHO\

    E\+HQU\:KHHOHUDQGKLVIDPLO\ VHUYHG

    SHRSOHLQ&DOLIRUQLDDQG0RQWDQD

    $WWKHWLPHRIWKHSXUFKDVH&DUO\OHLQWHQGHGWRUHVHOO3DUN:DWHU&RPSDQ\ZLWKLQYH\HDUV Carlyles

    :HVWHUQ:DWHU+ROGLQJVWKHQDQFLDOYHKLFOHLW

    FUHDWHGWRPDNHWKHSXUFKDVHZDVLQIDFWDOLPLWHG

    OLIHHQWLW\WKDWH[SLUHGEHIRUH$FFRUGLQJWRD

    FRQVXOWDQWIRUWKH0RQWDQD&RQVXPHU&RXQVHO&DUO\OHV

    SODQZDVWRVHOORWKHFRPSDQ\DIWHUEXLOGLQJXSWKH

    &RPSDQ\VUDWHEDVHDQGHQWHUSULVHPDUNHWYDOXH

    7KLVZRXOGOHDGWRUDWHLQFUHDVHVIRUFRQVXPHUV By

    LQYHVWLQJLQLQIUDVWUXFWXUH&DUO\OHLQWHQGHGWRUHDOL]H

    DVXEVWDQWLDOFDSLWDOJDLQZKHQLWUHVROGWKHFRPSDQ\

    LQH[SHFWLQJDQLQWHUQDOUDWHRIUHWXUQRI

    SHUFHQWD\HDU

    $VRI&DUO\OHZDVDOVRWDUJHWLQJVHYHQZDWHUXWLOL -

    WLHVLQ&DOLIRUQLDLQFOXGLQJRQHZLWKPRUHWKDQ

    FXVWRPHUVDQGDQRWKHUZLWKDERXWFXVWRPHUV

    DVSRVVLEOHDGGRQRUWXFNLQDFTXLVLWLRQVE\3DUN:DWHU

    &RPSDQ\&DUO\OHVLQIUDVWUXFWXUHIXQGKDGDQDVVHW

    YDOXHRIELOOLRQDQGDERXWSHUFHQWRIWKHWRWDO

    FDSLWDOLQWKHUPVPDQDJHGIXQGVFRPHVIURPSXEOLF

    SHQVLRQVDQGDJHQFLHVLQFOXGLQJWKH&DOLIRUQLD3XEOLF

    (PSOR\HHV5HWLUHPHQW6\VWHP&DO3(56

    Figure 2. Regulated Utilites MakeMoney by Investing in Infrastructure

    Equity Investment

    $UHJXODWHGLQYHVWRURZQHGZDWHUXWLOLW \VSURWGHSHQGVRQLWV

    equity investment and its authorized rate of return on equity.

    3URW

    (Authorized

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    on

    Equity)

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    Private Equity, Public Inequityt5IF1VCMJD$PTUPG1SJWBUF&RVJUZ5BLFPWFSTPG648BUFS*OGSBTUSVDUVSF 11

    encourages overinvesmen and higher-han-necessary

    prices, according o he Naional Regulaory Research

    Insiue.180 Unorunaely, auhorized reurns on equiy

    ypically exceed he acual cos o equiy.

    Consequenly, invesor-owned waer uiliies have a

    inancial incenive o overbuild, or gold plae, inrasrucure

    projecs. This is a well-known phenomenon called he

    Averch-Johnson Eec, named or he economiss who irsmodeled i in he 1960s.181 A privaely conrolled uiliy

    may, or example, build an unnecessarily large reamen

    plan or choose a more capial-inensive reamen process,

    such as desalinaion.

    Acquiring exising waer and sewer sysems is anoher

    way ha invesor-owned waer uiliies can expand heir

    invesmen base and drive up heir reurns. For example,

    Aquarion Waer Company a privae waer uiliy in he

    Norheas ha Macquarie inancial vehicles bough in

    2007182 had a business model ha ocused on acquisi-

    ions and rae hikes.183

    Ineresingly, a 2005 sudy ound ha a higher corporae

    income ax rae on uiliy companies could help couner

    his incenive o overinves in inrasrucure.184 Leveraged

    buyous, however, reduce a irms income ax responsi-

    biliy,185 so hey may compel even greaer overinvesmen.

    &LUFXPYHQWLQJQFRPH7D[HV

    Privae equiy irms also are noorious ax avoiders and

    evaders.199 Inrasrucure unds are ofen locaed in ax

    havens, and a 2011 repor by he European ServicesSraegy Uni ound ha his was a growing phenom-

    enon.200 Because o ax havens, ax reamen o deb and

    capial gains, and oher legal loopholes and pracices,

    privae equiy irms ofen pay very low income ax raes.201

    For example, beween 2007 and 2011, he Carlyle Group

    made $4.2 billion in proi bu paid an eecive income ax

    rae o only 2 percen.202 In comparison, publicly raded

    U.S. waer uiliy companies have an average income ax

    rae o 39 percen.203 By no paying he sandard 39 percen

    income ax rae, he Carlyle Group avoided $1.6 billion o

    income axes over ha ive-year period.204

    /DFNLQJ7UDQVSDUHQF\

    Privae equiy akeovers usually involve complex corporae

    srucures, which can obscure ulimae ownership and

    responsibiliy. Transacions ypically occur hrough a

    series o holding companies and inancial vehicles.205 (See

    Figure 3 on page 12 or an example o how complex hese

    srucures can be.) For a privaizaion deal, a privae equiy

    player will likely orm a new special-purpose vehicle wih

    an exising privae secor waer company. The privae

    equiy player will inance he ransacion and he waer

    company will operae he privaized sysem.206 (See Figure

    4 on page 13 or an example o how his arrangemen could

    be srucured.)

    To make maters worse, hese privae equiy-owned busi-

    nesses, as privaely held companies, do no have o comply

    wih mos inancial disclosure requiremens o he U.S.Securiies and Exchange Commission.207 A privae equiy

    buyou also ofen lacks disclosure requiremens regarding

    inancial covenans or an amorizaion schedule or he

    ransacion deb,208 and he special-purpose company se

    up by invesors may reuse o disclose inormaion abou

    capial coss.209 This presens diiculies or bond-raing

    agencies, and can resul in downgraded credi raings and

    increased deb coss.210

    Sae public uiliy commissions also may have insuicien

    inormaion abou he inancial srucure o a buyou deal,

    making i diicul or a regulaor o gauge he risk o he

    uiliy arising rom he buyou, according o a repor by

    he Naional Regulaory Research Insiue.211 The repor

    noed ha a privae equiy irm may conceal is inves-

    men porolio, adding: The paren companys/privae

    equiy irms ineres in keeping his inormaion privae is

    no consisen wih he public ineres in eecive regula-

    ion, which requires ull inormaion o all acors aecing

    he uiliys inancial healh.212

    Pension FundsSome pension funds are increasingly looking for

    direct investments in infrastructure, but as of

    2011, infrastructure remains a small portion of their

    RYHUDOOSRUWIROLR/HVVWKDQSHUFHQWRISHQVLRQIXQGV

    worldwide invest in infrastructure projects.2183HQVLRQ

    funds should be wary of investing equity in water and

    VHZHUSULYDWL]DWLRQSURMHFWV9HU\OLWWOHLVNQRZQDERXW

    pension fund investments in infrastructure.219 There is

    RQO\DERXWYH\HDUVRIGDWDWRHYDOXDWHDQGWKHSHULRG

    ZDVVKDSHGE\WKHERRPEXVWHQYLURQPHQWRIUHFHQW

    years, according to Georg Inderst, an independent

    advisor to pension funds and other institutional inves-

    tors, in an art icle in the journal Pensions.220

    QVWHDGRISDUWLFLSDWLQJLQSULYDWL]DWLRQGHDOVSHQVLRQ

    funds could purchase government debt if they want to

    invest in infrastructure.2217RIDFLOLWDWHWKLVLQWKH8QLWHG

    States, the federal government needs to create attrac-

    WLYHERUURZLQJVWUXFWXUHVVXFKDVUHLQVWDWLQJWKH%XLOG

    $PHULFD%RQGVSURJUDP

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    12 Food & Water Watch tXXXGPPEBOEXBUFSXBUDIPSH

    The Macquarie Group

    Macquarie Funds Group

    Macquarie Infrastructureand Real Assets

    MEAP Utilities Ltd. MEAP Utilities LPMacquarie Utilities

    Holdings Ltd.

    Macquarie Utilities, Inc.

    Aquarion Holdings LLC

    Aquarion Company

    Mass Capital Aquarion Water Company Aquarion Safety Valve

    Aquarion Water Companyof Connecticut

    Aquarion Water Companyof New Hampshire

    Aquarion Water Companyof Massachusetts

    Macquarie EssentialAssets Partnership

    Macquarie InfrastructurePartners Canada

    Macquarie InfrastructurePartners International

    Macquarie InfrastructurePartners A

    100%

    100%

    100%

    100%

    100%

    100%

    100%

    Manages

    74.06%9.88%

    0.01%

    46.03% 44.09%

    45% 55%

    Figure 3.Ownership Structure of Aquarion Water Company, of whichMacquarie-managed funds owned a controlling stake

    (As of March 2011, prior to sale of Macquarie Essential Assets Partnershipto British Columbia Investment Management Corporation)

    SOURCE: &DPHULQR6WHYHQ9':$TXDULRQ:DWHU&RPSDQ\RI1HZ+DPSVKLUHQF&RUSRUDWH5HVWUXFWXULQJ1HZ+DPSVKLUH3XEOLF8WLOLWLHV&RPPLVVLRQ0DUFKDW0DFTXDULH>3UHVHQWDWLRQ@0DFTXDULHQIUDVWUXFWXUHDQG5HDO$VVHWV-XQHDW13 and 15.

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    Private Equity, Public Inequityt5IF1VCMJD$PTUPG1SJWBUF&RVJUZ5BLFPWFSTPG648BUFS*OGSBTUSVDUVSF 13

    A U.K. governmen audi o privaely inanced projecs

    similarly ound, The amoun o inancial inormaion

    invesors rouinely provide is limied.213 This lack o disclo-

    sure has inerered wih he publics abiliy o monior

    or excess prois and evaluae he role o privae equiy

    invesmens.214 In addiion, unlike governmen eniies,

    privaely conrolled waer uiliies are usually no subjec

    o sunshine laws requiring open meeings and public

    disclosure o cerain documens.215 Even i conrac provi-sions require cerain disclosures, The public, however, is

    sill an addiional sep removed rom he eniy conrolling

    a public aciliy or inrasrucure.216

    Recommendations

    Local Public Control

    Cash-srapped ciies and owns will no resolve heir iscal

    woes by urning waer and sewer sysems over o privae

    ineress. As public oicials deermine how o cu he

    growing budge deicis beleaguering many local govern-mens, hey mus avoid supericial soluions, such as

    aucioning o waer uiliies, which can have lasing conse-

    quences. Privaizaion can resul in greaer long-erm coss

    or he public, and i can saddle generaions o consumers

    wih deb ha mus be paid o hrough rae hikes.

    Given he experiences o oher communiies, public

    oicials should exercise he umos cauion when consid-

    ering radical changes o waer and sewer services. They

    should avoid privaizaion and oher irresponsible budge

    gimmicks, which could price sruggling households ou o

    waer service and jeopardize public access o sae waer.

    Public-Public3DUWQHUVKLSV

    Insead o privaizing waer sysems, municipaliies can

    parner ogeher hrough public-public parnerships. In a

    public-public parnership, wo or more public waer uili-

    ies, governmen eniies or non-governmenal organiza-ions join orces on a no-or-proi basis and leverage heir

    shared capaciies o improve waer and sewer services. The

    public parners pool resources, buying power and ech-

    nical experise o enhance public eiciencies and service

    qualiy. These parnerships promoe public-service delivery

    hrough sharing bes pracices.222

    Through purchasing cooperaives or agreemens, uiliies

    and oher public eniies can save ime and money by

    purchasing chemicals, equipmen, uel and oher supplies

    and maerials in bulk.223

    Public waer uiliies can also savemoney when hey work ogeher hrough join capial

    projecs or shared service agreemens.224 By parnering

    wih more-eicien public uiliies or eaming up wih

    non-governmenal organizaions or heir own employees,

    public uiliies can creaively address ineiciencies or

    make sysem improvemens.225 Compared o public-private

    parnerships, public-public parnerships are more eecive,

    eicien and equiable.226

    Figure 4. Example Structure of a Privatization Involving Private Equity Entities

    Lenders

    Private EquityEntity

    Private WaterCompany

    Householdsand

    Businesses

    Government

    Loans

    Repayment

    withInterest

    $ Capital Investment

    $$ Return on Equity

    $ConcessionFee

    $$$W

    aterB

    ills

    Water Service

    ControlofWaterUtility

    Special PurposeVehicle

    $Fee

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    14 Food & Water Watch tXXXGPPEBOEXBUFSXBUDIPSH

    QFUHDVHG)HGHUDO)XQGLQJ

    A dedicaed source o ederal unding or he Drinking

    Waer and Clean Waer Sae Revolving Funds (SRFs) can

    help communiies make vial improvemens o heir waer

    inrasrucure wihou severe increases in waer prices.

    These programs provide low-ineres loans and grans or

    waer inrasrucure and are an imporan inancing ool

    or public waer sysems. Unorunaely, ederal unding or

    he SRFs has allen since 2009.227 Wih a dedicaed source

    o ederal unding, he SRFs would no longer be subjec o

    he ickle annual appropriaions cycle.

    5HDXWKRUL]DWLRQRI%XLOG$PHULFD%RQGV

    In addiion, he ederal governmen can suppor waer

    inrasrucure by reauhorizing Build America Bonds

    (BABs) or a similar program. Under he previous BAB

    program, a sae or local governmen issued a axable bond

    and received a 35 percen direc subsidy rom he ederal

    governmen o ose borrowing coss.228

    Because BABsare axable, hey atraced new invesors including pension

    unds and oher long-erm insiuional invesors ha

    are ax-exemp and hus do no receive he ax benei o

    buying regular municipal bonds.229

    The Treasury Deparmen called his program highly

    successul a simulaing inrasrucure invesmen.230

    Build America Bonds unded more han $180 billion o

    new public inrasrucure projecs in 2009 and 2010,231

    saving saes and local governmens a oal o $20 billion

    in borrowing coss.232 Insiuional invesors bough more

    han a quarer o he $165 billion o bonds issued. 233

    BABs are also an eicien way o subsidize public secorborrowing.234 The Treasury Deparmen repored, Unlike

    radiional ax-exemp municipal bonds, BABs are target

    eficient, meaning ha each dollar o revenue oregone by

    he ederal governmen beneis sae and local govern-

    mens by a dollar.235 Compared o ax-exemp municipal

    bonds, BABs were a cheaper source o money or local

    governmens while appealing o a broader se o invesors

    including pension unds and oreign invesors.236

    Wih responsible public managemen and a renewed

    ederal commimen o our counrys waer resources, we

    can bes ensure sae and aordable waer service or all.

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    Private Equity, Public Inequityt5IF1VCMJD$PTUPG1SJWBUF&RVJUZ5BLFPWFSTPG648BUFS*OGSBTUSVDUVSF 15

    Endnotes1 Beeferman, Larry W. Pension Fund Investment in Infrastructure: A Resource

    Paper. (Occasional Paper Series No. 3). Harvard Law School, Labor and

    Worklife Program. December 2008 at 18 to 21; Maxwell, Steve. The growing

    role of private equity in the water industry.Journal AWWA, vol. 98, iss. 1.

    :h^

    /

    can enhance long-term overall returns. September 2011 at 4 to 5.

    2 Davis, Emma. Infrastructure GPs. Preqin Infrastructure Spotlight, vol. 4, iss.

    1. January 2012 at 11.

    W,^>>h/t^

    Kentucky for Approval of an Indirect Change in Control of a Certain Kentucky

    hWW>/WZ/

    &^t/Ed

    Z

    Commission of Alaska. (Docket No. U-09-046). August 10, 2009; CAI. [Press

    Z&^t/

    &^t/WZ/: -

    /&^

    t/Z

    and Request for Waiver of 3 AAC 48.400. Regulatory Commission of Alaska.

    (Docket No. U-09-046). May 8, 2009 at 1 to 7.

    36 Aquarion Water Company of CT, 2007 at 105.

    WZ

    Dt

    Company. February 24, 2006.

    Dh/E W

    February 8, 2007 at 1.

    39 Macquarie Group, 2006.

    >t

    :

  • 7/31/2019 Private Equity, Public Inequity: The Public Cost of Private Equity Takeovers of U.S. Water Infrastructure

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    16 Food & Water Watch tXXXGPPEBOEXBUFSXBUDIPSH

    54 Ibid.

    W ^D&^

    Dt

    ^

    Transfer of Stock in Park Water Co. September 19, 2011 at 2 to 3.

    56 The Carlyle Group, 2011.

    57 Public Service Commission of the State of Montana, September 19, 2011 at 2

    to 3.

    58 The Carlyle Group, 2011.

    ^ZZ

    Z

    D

    ZZhDD

    D

    at 1, 2, 9 and 14; Steinberg, Jim. Rialto city council Oks 30-year contract withAmerican Water Works.The San Bernardino County Sun. March 28, 2012;

    ^:Z

    San Bernardino County Sun. June 27, 2012; Steinberg, Jim. New alliance may

    run Rialtos water system. San Bernardino County Sun. July 11, 2012.

    WZ

    hh/

    ,

    February 20, 2012.

    61 Ibid.

    Z

    63 Corix, February 20, 2012.

    tK Public Works Financing, vol. 269. March 2012 at 3; Bay-

    DhE:D

    Dh:

    ,

    t

    D

    United Water deal. The Jersey Journal. July 24, 2012.

    >ZWZ

    :

    WZ

    //

    -

    >Z

    November 21, 2011.

    >ZdZ

    &Dh

    of Water and Wastewater Systems from the Lower Colorado River Authority.

    ZZ&//W/

    OECD. May 2012 at 11.

    69 Lower Colorado River Authority, June 26, 2012; Lower Colorado River Author-

    &Dh

    Water and Wastewater Systems from the Lower Colorado River Authority.

    70 Regulatory Commission of Alaska. Order No. 1. /D-

    &/D//&^t/

    (U-12-097). July 16, 2012 at 3.

    EKh -

    d

    h^'K

    t

    /&^sE/

    and Public-Private Partnerships. (GAO-10-728). June 2010 at 30.

    d

    Reuters. September 10,

    2011.

    & The Wall

    Street Journal:

    and 23 to 24; American Jobs Act of 2011 at 243(a)(12) and 253(b)(4); Long,

    2011.

    h^

    Zt

    global/en/investment-bank/meet-our-management/robert-wolf.html, ac-

    h^

    WZ

    h^ -

    ment appointments. October 22, 2010.

    94 King, Neil Jr. Obamas lead blocker on Wall Street. The Wall Street Journal.

    January 23, 2010.

    95 Ibid.

    t,WZ

    K

    February 6, 2009.

    Wh^

    Infrastructure

    Investor. November 8, 2008.

    t,WZ

    WK

    W:

    &

    WZD

    / -

    -

    W:

    d&^/

    :

    /Z

    K

    100 Laing, Keith. House Republicans: White House plan for infrastructure bank

    dead on arrival. d,. October 12, 2011.

    ^z

    The

    Bond BuyerKD/>

    W

    ZDZ/d

    D

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    Private Equity, Public Inequityt5IF1VCMJD$PTUPG1SJWBUF&RVJUZ5BLFPWFSTPG648BUFS*OGSBTUSVDUVSF 17

    102 Chicago redux. Infrastructure Investor. April 2, 2012.

    103 Shields, 2012; Aldermen sink teeth into infrastructure bank debate. Crains

    Chicago Business^D

    /d

    d,W. April 24, 2012; Renn, Aaron M. What exactly does an

    infrastructure bank do for us anyway? h. April 22, 2012.

    ^&

    Chicago Sun Times. April 25, 2012.

    105 Hodge, Graeme A. and Carsten Greve. Public-private partnerships: An

    WZ, vol. 67,

    iss. 3. May/June 2007 at 549 to 550; Shields, 2012; Aldermen sink teeth into

    infrastructure bank debate, 2012; Sledge, 2012; Renn, 2012; Spielman, 2012.

    106 Shields, 2012.

    107 Chicago Oks private investment for infrastructure. Reuters. April 24, 2012;

    Dardick, Hal et al. City council approves Emanuels controversial rebuilding

    plan. Chicago Tribune. April 24, 2012.

    108 Hodge and Greve, 2007 at 552; Onishi, Masamitsu and Graham Winch.

    Cross-country case analysis. In Winch, Graham et al. (eds.). (2012). Taking

    Stock of PPP and PFI Around the World> -

    d

    109 Onishi and Winch, 2012 at 22.

    110 Dannin, Ellen. Crumbling infrastructure, crumbling democracy: Infrastruc-

    Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy, vol. 6, iss. 1. Winter 2011 at

    /,. May 18, 2012.

    118 Gralla, Joan. New Yorks Nassau County lease of sewer plant faces hurdles.

    ReutersD/^

    Z

    D

    EEz'K^

    :>dDt Z':.

    July 17, 2008.

    134 Truckee Meadows Water Authority (Nevada). Minutes of the Board of Direc-

    tors. July 25, 2008.

    >:dDt

    Reno

    ':. July 26, 2008.

    136 Florian, 2008 at 31 to 32.

    137 Sakoui, Anousha and Daniel Schfer. Goldman Sachs eyes bid for Veolia

    Water. Financial Times. March 13, 2012.

    h^'K

    139 Ziegler, John. The dangers of municipal concession contracts: A new vehicle

    to improve accountability and transparency. Public Contract Law Journal, vol

    40, iss. 2. Winter 2011 at 571.

    140 Dannin, 2011 at 75; Victor, 2012 at 40.

    141 Victor, 2012 at 40.

    142 Kelly and Keehner, 2010.

    143 Onishi and Winch, 2012 at 21; Dannin, 2011 at 54, 55, 78 and 79; Marques,

    Rui Cunha and Sanford Berg. Public-Private Partnership Contracts: A Tale of

    d

    W

    vol. 90, iss. 4. 2011 at 1588, 1594 to 1595.

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    18 Food & Water Watch tXXXGPPEBOEXBUFSXBUDIPSH

    &Z

    157 Hill, 2007 at 22.

    ^Wd''/&

    d

    Good To Be True? November 30, 2006 at 3.

    159 Hill, 2007 at 15.

    160 Ibid. at 36.

    161 Ibid. at 23.

    162 Ibid. at 9 and 10.

    /EW:

    Z//

    Kd

    dW

    Equity Buyouts. (IFN Working Paper No. 841, 2010). May 4, 2011 at 1 to 4.

    EKhWh^^

    &^

    Amendment No. 3. February 13, 2012 at 4 and 231.

    197 Ibid. at 233.

    198 Ibid. at 12 and 231.199 Morgan Lewis. Avoiding publicly traded partnership status for U.S. Federal

    Income Tax Purposes. 2012; Norbck, 2011 at 1 to 4; dAubert, Franois.

    The transparency challenge facing private equity. W^-

    ment, no. 12. October 2011 at 18 to 20.

    t

    201 Morgan Lewis, 2012; Norbck, 2011 at 1 to 4; dAubert, 2011 at 18 to 20.

    d'>Wh^^

    &^

    Amendment No. 7. April 13, 2012 at 99.

    &

    d

    '>Wh^^

    &^

    E

    /

    billion more than it actually paid.

    205 Camerino, Steven V. DW 11-068; Aquarion Water Company of New Hamp-

    /Z

    E,Wh -

    mission. March 31, 2011 at 2.

    /WWW

    D>Dth

    January 2012.

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    Private Equity, Public Inequityt5IF1VCMJD$PTUPG1SJWBUF&RVJUZ5BLFPWFSTPG648BUFS*OGSBTUSVDUVSF 19

    223 Flake, Marc. Purchasing co-op stretches dollars..

    ^:

    d

    E

    /'W Go Pro Magazine, vol. 17, iss. 2. April/

    May 2009 at 18 to 19.

    ,D>hZ

    ^WZh

    >ZZ^

    D

    D

    t

    Canton

    Observer. June 16, 2011.

    ,WWW,^

    h'^W^/Research Unit. July 2005 at 5 to 7 and 12; Southeast Michigan Council of

    Governments. Water Meter Updates. AgileGov Ideas for advancing local

    :

    226 Andrews, Rhys and Tom Entwistle. Does cross-sectoral partnership deliver?

    equity. :WZd. vol. 20, iss.

    3. July 2010 at 679, 689 to 692; Tucker, Josephine et al. Directorate B Policy

    Department, Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union, European

    W

    partnerships for urban water services in ACP countries. May 2010 at 13 to 17

    and 33 to 34.

    227 Copeland, Claudia. Congressional Research Service. Water Infrastructure

    &,W

    and 30 to 32.

    228 U.S. Treasury Department. Treasury Analysis of Build America Bonds and

    Issuer Net Borrowing Costs. April 2, 2010 at 3.

    229 U.S. Treasury Department and the Council of Economic Advisors. A New

    Economic Analysis of Infrastructure Investment. March 23, 2012 at 16.

    230 Ibid. at 15.

    231 Ibid. at 2 and 15.

    232 Ibid. at 15.

    K121.

    234 U.S. Treasury Department and the Council of Economic Advisors, 2012 at 16.

    235 U.S. Treasury Department, 2010 at 3.

    236 Ibid. at 2 to 3.

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