Emera said on Tuesday it would buy peer Canadian Utilities for $14.3 billion in stock, strengthening its financial muscle as power companies ramp up investments to tap into booming demand.
The deal, which will create one of Canada’s top power providers with an enterprise value of about $72 billion, comes when utilities across North America move ahead with costly upgrades of aging grid and transmission infrastructure.
“As demand rises from electrification trends and major infrastructure development, the combined company will be better positioned to help meet growing energy needs,” Emera CEO Scott Balfour, who will lead the combined company, said in a statement.
U.S. power firms NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy in May agreed to merge in a $66.8 billion deal amid soaring electricity demand fueled by the rapid expansion of data centers supporting the adoption of AI.
Emera said the deal would support a planned $32 billion capital program through 2030, with an expected annual rate-base growth of seven to eight per cent.
The combined company will have about six million customers and a presence in high-growth markets through a portfolio of 12 regulated utilities.
“Florida and Alberta will become the company’s two largest jurisdictions, representing approximately 45 per cent and 34 per cent respectively,” Balfour said in a conference call.
Deal closing in 2027
Under the offer, Class A shareholders of Canadian Utilities, excluding ATCO, will receive 0.755 Emera shares and Class B shareholders will get 0.819 for each share held.
The deal values Canadian Utilities’ Class A shares at about $51.57 each, a premium of roughly 0.7 per cent to the stock’s close on Monday, according to LSEG data.
Meanwhile, ATCO, which holds nearly 37 per cent of the outstanding non-voting shares and all outstanding voting shares of Canadian Utilities, will separate into a publicly traded industrial services company.
Emera shares were down 1.2 per cent, Canadian Utilities rose 1.4 per cent and ATCO jumped 12.8 per cent in morning trading.
The deal is expected to close in the third or fourth quarter of 2027 and add to earnings per share in the first full year following the completion.
The new company will operate as Emera and maintain its public company headquarters in Halifax.
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Reporting by Katha Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda and Sriraj Kalluvila
