More than 40,000 District of Columbia residents have signed a petition in support of the merger of Pepco Holdings Inc. (NYSE: POM) and Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). A list of those who signed the petition was filed yesterday with the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia and is available here. These residents join a diverse group of more than 80 business, community and faith organizations that already publicly voiced their support for the transaction.

To provide some perspective:

  • If each signed petition were laid end to end, it would span nearly 7 miles or almost 3.5 times the length of the National Mall.
  • The number of District residents who signed the petition is more than 1.5 times the entire student body of George Washington University.
  • These D.C. merger supporters could fill the Verizon Center more than twice.

The full text of the petition is available at PHITomorrow.com. The number of petition signatures continues to grow daily. In addition, merger supporters in the District have written more than 6,500 letters and growing. Those letters also are being filed with the Public Service Commission.

“Tens of thousands of residents from across the District have clearly stated they want this merger, which will provide more than $72 million for bill credits, low-income customer assistance, renewable energy and energy efficiency programs for the District. In addition, we’ve committed to promote local jobs in the District and will provide $5.2 million for workforce development,” said Melissa Sherrod, vice president of Corporate Affairs, Exelon. “In fact, at community hearings last month, dozens of District residents and community groups turned out to say they support our merger because of these significant benefits.”

Pepco Holdings and Exelon in early October reached a merger settlement agreement with the District of Columbia government, Office of the People’s Counsel, Attorney General and others that provides substantially enhanced benefits to District residents. The settlement package was specifically shaped to address the concerns articulated by the Public Service Commission in its August order.

“Merging with Exelon will make Pepco a stronger company, both financially and operationally, and that will be good for customers,” said Donna Cooper, region president, Pepco. “This is a significant opportunity to bring millions of dollars in long-term, tangible benefits to District residents in terms of energy affordability, reliability and sustainability.”

The merger has been approved in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia and by federal regulators. The D.C. PSC has set a schedule which would allow for completing the proceeding by the first quarter of 2016.

About Exelon Corporation

Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC) is the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2014 revenues of approximately $27.4 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, Exelon does business in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Exelon is one of the largest competitive U.S. power generators, with approximately 32,000 megawatts of owned capacity comprising one of the nation’s cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. The company’s Constellation business unit provides energy products and services to more than 2.5 million residential, public sector and business customers, including more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100. Exelon’s utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to more than 7.8 million customers in central Maryland (BGE), northern Illinois (ComEd) and southeastern Pennsylvania (PECO). Follow Exelon on Twitter @Exelon.

About Pepco Holdings Inc.

Pepco Holdings Inc. is one of the largest energy delivery companies in the Mid-Atlantic region, serving about 2 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland and New Jersey. PHI subsidiaries Pepco, Delmarva Power and Atlantic City Electric provide regulated electricity service; Delmarva Power also provides natural gas service. PHI also provides energy efficiency and renewable energy services through Pepco Energy Services. For more information, visit online: www.pepcoholdings.com.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Except for the historical information contained herein, certain of the matters discussed in this communication constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, both as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “predict,” “project,” “future,” “potential,” “intend,” “seek to,” “plan,” “assume,” “believe,” “target,” “forecast,” “goal,” “objective,” “continue” or the negative of such terms or other variations thereof and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future plans, actions, or events identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding benefits of the proposed merger, integration plans and expected synergies, the expected timing of completion of the transaction, anticipated future financial and operating performance and results, including estimates for growth. These statements are based on the current expectations of management of Exelon Corporation (Exelon) and Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI), as applicable. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements included in this communication. For example, (1) the uncertainty surrounding reconsideration of the denial of the Merger application by the DC Public Service Commission may delay the merger or cause the companies to abandon the merger; (2) conditions to the closing of the merger may not be satisfied; (3) problems may arise in successfully integrating the businesses of the companies, which may result in the combined company not operating as effectively and efficiently as expected; (4) the combined company may be unable to achieve cost-cutting synergies or it may take longer than expected to achieve those synergies; (5) the merger may involve unexpected costs, unexpected liabilities or unexpected delays, or the effects of purchase accounting may be different from the companies’ expectations; (6) the credit ratings of the combined company or its subsidiaries may be different from what the companies expect; (7) the businesses of the companies may suffer as a result of uncertainty surrounding the merger; (8) the companies may not realize the values expected to be obtained for properties expected or required to be sold; (9) the industry may be subject to future regulatory or legislative actions that could adversely affect the companies; and (10) the companies may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors. Other unknown or unpredictable factors could also have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements of the combined company. Therefore, forward-looking statements are not guarantees or assurances of future performance, and actual results could differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. Discussions of some of these other important factors and assumptions are contained in Exelon’s and PHI’s respective filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, including: (1) Exelon’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K in (a) ITEM 1A. Risk Factors, (b) ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and (c) ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: Note 22; (2) Exelon’s Third Quarter 2015 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q in (a) Part II, Other Information, ITEM 1A. Risk Factors; (b) Part 1, Financial Information, ITEM 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and (c) Part I, Financial Information, ITEM 1. Financial Statements: Note 19; (3) the definitive proxy statement that PHI filed with the SEC on August 12, 2014 and mailed to its stockholders in connection with the proposed merger (as supplemented by PHI’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on September 12, 2014); (4) PHI’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K in (a) ITEM 1A. Risk Factors, (b) ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and (c) ITEM 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data: Note 15; and (5) PHI’s Third Quarter 2015 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q in (a) PART I, ITEM 1. Financial Statements, (b) PART I, ITEM 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and (c) Part II, Other Information, ITEM 1A. Risk Factors. In light of these risks, uncertainties, assumptions and factors, the forward-looking events discussed in this communication may not occur. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this communication. Neither Exelon nor PHI undertakes any obligation to publicly release any revision to its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this communication. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Exelon or PHI to predict all such factors. Furthermore, it may not be possible to assess the impact of any such factor on Exelon’s or PHI’s respective businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Any specific factors that may be provided should not be construed as exhaustive.