EPE

The bankrupt El Paso Electric Co. (EPE) has asked the New Mexico Public Utilities Commission for permission to issue securities as part of its proposed acquisition by Central and South West Corp. (CSW) (em a necessary step in consummating the merger. Under EPE's third amended plan of reorganization, the utility would recapitalize by issuing new debt securities and preferred stock. CSW also would infuse additional common equity into EPE. The new securities, along with cash payments and shares of CSW common stock, would be used to settle the outstanding claims of EPE's creditors.

The pending merger of El Paso Electric Co. (EPE) and Central and South West Services, Inc. (CSW) keeps going and going and going. But the issue of "comparability" has yet to be left in the dust. And so another landmark case looms large, giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) another opportunity to shape future wheeling and merger transactions.