GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:
Etrion Corporation (“Etrion” or the “Company”) (OSE:ETRION)(STO:ETX)(TSX:ETX), a solar independent power producer, announces that on February 11, 2015, the Italian Constitutional Court published a ruling that declared the so called “Robin Hood” tax unconstitutional and eliminated it from February 2015 going forward. The removal of the Robin Hood tax reduces the ordinary income tax rate applicable to most energy companies in Italy from 34% to 27.5%.
Marco A. Northland, Etrion’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The reduction of the Italian corporate income tax rate applicable to our solar parks is a significant benefit for us. This change is expected to increase cash distributions from our 60 MW portfolio in Italy by almost US$1 million per year, offsetting the effect of the recent reduction in the Italian feed-in-tariff.”
The Robin Hood tax was a surtax introduced in 2008 that increased the overall corporate income tax rate applicable to large Italian energy companies from 27.5% to 38%. In 2011, the Robin Hood tax was expanded to include renewable energy companies. In 2013, the Italian government lowered the revenue threshold for the application of the surtax. In 2014, the government reduced the surtax, thereby reducing the overall income tax rate from 38% to 34%. Operators contested the Robin Hood tax as unconstitutional due to the higher overall tax rate being applied to energy companies compared to the ordinary tax rate for Italian companies in general.
About Etrion
Etrion Corporation is an independent power producer that develops, builds, owns and operates utility-scale solar power generation plants. The Company owns 130 MW of installed solar capacity in Italy and Chile. Etrion has 34 MW of solar projects under construction in Japan and is also actively developing greenfield solar power projects in Japan and Chile. The Company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in Canada and the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm exchange in Sweden under ticker symbol “ETX”. Etrion’s largest shareholder is the Lundin family, which owns approximately 24% of the Company’s shares directly and through various trusts.
Note: The capacity of power plants in this release is described in approximate megawatts on a direct current (“DC”) basis, also referred to as megawatt-peak (“MWp”).
Etrion discloses the information provided herein pursuant to the Swedish Securities Market Act. The information was submitted for publication at 08:05 Central European Time (CET) on February 17, 2015.
Forward-Looking Information:
This press release contains certain “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that Etrion believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements relating to the anticipated impact of the Robin Hood tax) constitute forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available as well as certain assumptions including, without limitation, assumptions with respect to the amount of corporate tax paid by Etrion’s Italian operations. Reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk that the corporate tax rate in Italy increases.
Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein.
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