SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS LP - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended September 26, 2020

Commission File Number:  1-14222

SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

240 Route 10 West

Whippany, NJ 07981

(973) 887-5300

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

The aggregate market value as of March 27, 2020 of the registrant’s Common Units held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the reported closing price of such units on the New York Stock Exchange on such date ($14.57 per unit), was approximately $904,410,000.  As of November 23, 2020, there were 62,507,331 Common Units of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. outstanding.

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SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. AND SUBSIDIARIES

INDEX TO ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

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DISCLOSURE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements (“Forward-Looking Statements”) as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, relating to future business expectations and predictions and financial condition and results of operations of Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (the “Partnership”). Some of these statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “prospects,” “outlook,” “believes,” “estimates,” “intends,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “anticipates,” “expects” or “plans” or the negative or other variation of these or similar words, or by discussion of trends and conditions, strategies or risks and uncertainties.  These Forward-Looking Statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed or implied in such Forward-Looking Statements (statements contained in this Annual Report identifying such risks and uncertainties are referred to as “Cautionary Statements”). The risks and uncertainties and their impact on the Partnership’s results include, but are not limited to, the following risks:

Some of these Forward-Looking Statements are discussed in more detail in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report.  Reference is also made to the risk factors discussed in Item 1A of this Annual Report. On different occasions, the Partnership or its representatives have made or may make Forward-Looking Statements in other filings with the SEC, press releases or oral statements made by or with the approval of one of the Partnership’s authorized executive officers.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Statements, which reflect management’s view only as of the date made.  The Partnership undertakes no obligation to update any Forward-Looking Statement or Cautionary Statement, except as required by law.  All subsequent written and oral Forward-Looking Statements attributable to the Partnership or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the Cautionary Statements in this Annual Report and in future SEC reports.  For a more

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complete discussion of specific factors which could cause actual results to differ from those in the Forward-Looking Statements or Cautionary Statements, see “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.

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PART I

Development of Business

Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. (the “Partnership”), a publicly traded Delaware limited partnership, is a nationwide marketer and distributor of a diverse array of products meeting the energy needs of our customers.  We specialize in the distribution of propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, as well as the marketing of natural gas and electricity in deregulated markets.  In support of our core marketing and distribution operations, we install and service a variety of home comfort equipment, particularly in the areas of heating and ventilation.  We believe, based on LP/Gas Magazine dated February 2020, that we are the third largest retail marketer of propane in the United States, measured by retail gallons sold in the calendar year 2019.  As of September 26, 2020, we were serving the energy needs of approximately 1.0 million residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers through approximately 700 locations in 41 states with operations principally concentrated in the east and west coast regions of the United States, as well as portions of the midwest region of the United States and Alaska.  We sold approximately 402.9 million gallons of propane and 26.0 million gallons of fuel oil and refined fuels to retail customers during the year ended September 26, 2020. Together with our predecessor companies, we have been continuously engaged in the retail propane business since 1928.

We conduct our business principally through Suburban Propane, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, which operates our propane business and assets (the “Operating Partnership”), and its direct and indirect subsidiaries.  Our general partner, and the general partner of our Operating Partnership, is Suburban Energy Services Group LLC (the “General Partner”), a Delaware limited liability company whose sole member is the Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership.  Since October 19, 2006, the General Partner has no economic interest in either the Partnership or the Operating Partnership (which means that the General Partner is not entitled to any cash distributions of either partnership, nor to any cash payment upon the liquidation of either partnership, nor any other economic rights in either partnership) other than as a holder of 784 Common Units of the Partnership.  Additionally, under the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (the “Partnership Agreement”) of the Partnership, there are no incentive distribution rights for the benefit of the General Partner.  The Partnership owns (directly and indirectly) all of the limited partner interests in the Operating Partnership.  The Common Units represent 100% of the limited partner interests in the Partnership.

Direct and indirect subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership include Suburban Heating Oil Partners, LLC, which owns and operates the assets of our fuel oil and refined fuels business; Agway Energy Services, LLC, which owns and operates the assets of our natural gas and electricity business; and Suburban Sales and Service, Inc., which conducts a portion of our service work and appliance and parts business.  Our fuel oil and refined fuels, natural gas and electricity and services businesses are structured as either limited liability companies that are treated as corporations or corporate entities (collectively referred to as “Corporate Entities”) and, as such, are subject to corporate level income tax.

During fiscal 2020, our Operating Partnership acquired a 39% equity interest in Oberon Fuels, Inc. (“Oberon”), which is a development-stage producer of an innovative, low carbon renewable dimethyl ether (“rDME”) transportation fuel.  Oberon is focused on the research and development of practical and affordable pathways to zero-emission transportation through its proprietary production process.  Oberon's rDME fuel is a cost-effective, low-carbon, zero-soot alternative to petroleum diesel, and when blended with propane can significantly reduce its carbon intensity.

Suburban Energy Finance Corp., a direct 100%-owned subsidiary of the Partnership, was formed on November 26, 2003 to serve as co-issuer, jointly and severally with the Partnership, of the Partnership’s senior notes. Suburban Energy Finance Corp. has nominal assets and conducts no business operations.

In this Annual Report, unless otherwise indicated, the terms “Partnership,” “Suburban,” “we,” “us,” and “our” are used to refer to Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. and its consolidated subsidiaries, including the Operating Partnership. The Partnership and the Operating Partnership commenced operations in March 1996 in connection with the Partnership’s initial public offering of Common Units.

We currently file Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC.  You may read and print copies of any materials that we file with the SEC on the SEC’s EDGAR database at www.sec.gov.

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Upon written request or through an information request link from our website at www.suburbanpropane.com, we will provide, without charge, copies of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2020, each of the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, current reports filed or furnished on Form 8-K and all amendments to such reports as soon as is reasonably practicable after such reports are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC.  Requests should be directed to:  Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., Investor Relations, P.O. Box 206, Whippany, New Jersey 07981-0206.  The information contained on our website is not included as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our Strategy

Our business strategy is to deliver increasing value to our Unitholders through initiatives, both internal and external, that are geared toward achieving sustainable profitable growth. In pursuing this strategy, we also consider the interests of our employees, customers and the communities in which we operate, as exemplified by our Three Pillars program as described below.  The following are key elements of our strategy:

Internal Focus on Driving Operating Efficiencies, Right-Sizing Our Cost Structure and Enhancing Our Customer Mix.  We focus internally on improving the efficiency of our existing operations, managing our cost structure and improving our customer mix. Through investments in our technology infrastructure, we continue to seek to improve operating efficiencies and the return on assets employed.  We have developed a streamlined operating footprint and management structure to facilitate effective resource planning and decision making.  Our internal efforts are particularly focused in the areas of route optimization, forecasting customer usage, inventory control, cash management and customer tracking. We will continue to pursue operational efficiencies while staying focused on providing exceptional service to our customer base.  Our systems platform is advanced and scalable and we will seek to leverage that technology for enhanced routing, forecasting and customer relationship management.

Growing Our Customer Base by Improving Customer Retention and Acquiring New Customers.  We set clear objectives to focus our employees on seeking new customers and retaining existing customers by providing highly responsive customer service.  We believe that customer satisfaction is a critical factor in the growth and success of our operations. “Our Business is Customer Satisfaction” is one of our core operating philosophies.  We measure and reward our customer service centers based on a combination of profitability of the individual customer service center and net customer growth. We have made investments in training our people both on techniques to provide exceptional customer service to our existing customer base, as well as advanced sales training focused on growing our customer base.

Selective Acquisitions of Complementary Businesses or Assets.  Externally, we seek to extend our presence or diversify our product offerings through selective acquisitions.  Our acquisition strategy is to focus on businesses with a relatively steady cash flow that will extend our presence in strategically attractive markets, complement our existing business segments or provide an opportunity to diversify our operations.  We are very patient and deliberate in evaluating acquisition candidates.

Pursue Strategic Investments in the Transformation to a Renewable Energy Platform. We are committed to promoting the inherent environmental benefits of using propane in multiple applications as a clean energy source for a sustainable future, and to invest in innovative solutions to further reduce the carbon footprint.  In line with this commitment, which we call Go Green with Suburban Propane, we have made investments in an innovative producer of a renewable energy transportation fuel and we will seek additional opportunities to further build out our renewable energy platform.        

Selective Disposition of Non-Strategic Assets.  We continuously evaluate our existing facilities to identify opportunities to optimize our return on assets by selectively divesting operations in slower growing markets, generating proceeds that can be reinvested in markets that present greater opportunities for growth.  Our objective is to maximize the growth and profit potential of all of our assets.

The Three Pillars of the Suburban Propane Experience.  We execute the foregoing strategy under our corporate branding initiative known as the Three Pillars of the Suburban Propane Experience.  The three essential pillars emphasize:

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Business Segments

As described below, we manage and evaluate our operations in four operating segments, three of which are reportable segments: Propane, Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels and Natural Gas and Electricity.  See the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report for financial information about our business segments.

Propane

Propane is a by‑product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining.  It is a clean burning energy source recognized for its transportability and ease of use relative to alternative forms of stand‑alone energy sources.  Propane use falls into three broad categories:

In the residential and commercial markets, propane is used primarily for space heating, water heating, clothes drying and cooking.  Industrial customers use propane generally as a motor fuel to power over‑the‑road vehicles, forklifts and stationary engines, to fire furnaces, as a cutting gas and in other process applications.  In the agricultural market, propane is primarily used for tobacco curing, crop drying, poultry brooding and weed control.

Propane is extracted from natural gas or oil wellhead gas at processing plants or separated from crude oil during the refining process.  It is normally transported and stored in a liquid state under moderate pressure or refrigeration for ease of handling in shipping and distribution.  When the pressure is released or the temperature is increased, propane becomes a flammable gas that is colorless and odorless, although an odorant is added to allow its detection.  Propane is non-toxic, clean burning and, when consumed, produces virtually no particulate matter or sulfur dioxide (contributors to climate change).

Product Distribution and Marketing

We distribute propane through a nationwide retail distribution network consisting of approximately 700 locations in 41 states as of September 26, 2020.  Our operations are principally concentrated in the east and west coast regions of the United States, as well as portions of the midwest region of the United States and Alaska.  As of September 26, 2020, we serviced approximately 855,000 propane customers.  Typically, our customer service centers are located in suburban and rural areas where natural gas is not readily available. Generally, these customer service centers consist of an office, appliance showroom, warehouse and service facilities, with one or more 18,000 to 30,000 gallon storage tanks on the premises.  Approximately 60% of our residential customers receive their propane supply through an automatic delivery system.  These deliveries are scheduled through proprietary computer technology, based upon each customer’s historical consumption patterns and prevailing weather conditions.  Additionally, we offer our customers a budget payment plan whereby the customer’s estimated annual propane purchases and service contracts are paid for in a series of estimated equal monthly payments over a twelve-month period.  From our customer service centers, we also sell, install and service equipment to customers who purchase propane from us including heating and cooking appliances and, at some locations, propane fuel systems for motor vehicles.

We sell propane primarily to seven customer markets: residential, commercial, industrial (including engine fuel), government, agricultural, other retail users and wholesale.  Nearly all  of the propane gallons sold by us in fiscal 2020 was to retail customers: 45% to residential customers, 35% to commercial customers, 9% to industrial customers, 4% to government customers, 4% to agricultural customers and 3% to other retail users.  Nominal amounts  of the propane gallons sold by us in fiscal 2020 were for risk management activities and wholesale customers.  No single customer accounted for 10% or more of our propane revenues during fiscal 2020.

Retail deliveries of propane are usually made to customers by means of bobtail and rack trucks.  Propane is pumped from bobtail trucks, which have capacities typically ranging from 2,400 gallons to 3,500 gallons of propane, into a stationary storage tank on the customers’ premises.  The capacity of these storage tanks ranges from approximately 100 gallons to approximately 1,200 gallons, with a typical tank having a capacity of 300 to 400 gallons.  As is common in the propane industry, we own a significant portion of the storage tanks located on our customers’ premises.  We also deliver propane to retail customers in portable cylinders, which typically have a capacity of 5 to 35 gallons.  When these cylinders are delivered to customers, empty cylinders are refilled in place or transported for replenishment at our distribution locations.  We also deliver propane to certain other bulk end users in larger trucks known as transports, which have an average capacity of approximately 9,000 gallons.  End users receiving transport deliveries include industrial customers, large‑scale heating accounts, such as local gas utilities that use propane as a supplemental fuel to meet peak load delivery requirements, and large agricultural accounts that use propane for crop drying.

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Supply

Our propane supply is purchased from approximately 50 oil companies and natural gas processors at approximately 150 supply points located in the United States and Canada.  We make purchases primarily under one-year agreements that are subject to annual renewal, and also purchase propane on the spot market.  Supply contracts generally provide for pricing in accordance with posted prices at the time of delivery or the current prices established at major storage points, and some contracts include a pricing formula that typically is based on prevailing market prices.  Some of these agreements provide maximum and minimum seasonal purchase guidelines. Propane is generally transported from refineries, pipeline terminals, storage facilities (including our storage facility in Elk Grove, California) and coastal terminals to our customer service centers by a combination of common carriers, owner‑operators and railroad tank cars.  See Item 2 of this Annual Report.

Historically, supplies of propane have been readily available from our supply sources. Although we make no assurance regarding the availability of supplies of propane in the future, we currently expect to be able to secure adequate supplies during fiscal 2021.  During fiscal 2020, Crestwood Equity Partners L.P. (“Crestwood”), Targa Liquids Marketing and Trade LLC (“Targa”), and Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (“Enterprise”) provided approximately 24%, 17%, and 10% of our total propane purchases, respectively.  No other single supplier accounted for 10% or more of our propane purchases in fiscal 2020.  The availability of our propane supply is dependent on several factors, including the severity of winter weather, the magnitude of competing demands for available supply (e.g., crop drying and exports), the availability of transportation and storage infrastructure and the price and availability of competing fuels, such as natural gas and fuel oil.  We believe that if supplies from Crestwood, Targa, or Enterprise were interrupted, we would be able to secure adequate propane supplies from other sources without a material disruption of our operations.  Nevertheless, the cost of acquiring and transporting such propane might be higher and, at least on a short-term basis, our margins could be affected.  Over 85% of our total propane purchases were from domestic suppliers in fiscal 2020.

We seek to reduce the effect of propane price volatility on our product costs and to help ensure the availability of propane during periods of short supply.  We enter into propane forward options and swap agreements with third parties to purchase and sell propane at fixed prices in the future.  These activities are monitored by our senior management through enforcement of our Hedging and Risk Management Policy.  See Items 7 and 7A of this Annual Report.

We own and operate a large propane storage facility in Elk Grove, California.  We also operate smaller storage facilities in other locations and have rights to use storage facilities in additional locations. These storage facilities enable us to buy and store large quantities of propane particularly during periods of low demand, which generally occur during the summer months.  This practice helps ensure a more secure supply of propane during periods of intense demand or price instability.  As of September 26, 2020, the majority of the storage capacity at our facility in Elk Grove, California was leased to third parties.

Competition

According to the US Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey, propane ranks as the third most important source of residential energy in the nation, with about 5% of all households using propane as their primary space heating fuel.  This level has not changed materially over the previous two decades.  As an energy source, propane competes primarily with natural gas, electricity and fuel oil, principally on the basis of price, availability and portability.

Propane is more expensive than natural gas on an equivalent British Thermal Unit (“BTU”) basis in locations serviced by natural gas, but it is an alternative or supplement to natural gas in rural and suburban areas where natural gas is unavailable or portability of product is required.  Historically, the expansion of natural gas into traditional propane markets has been inhibited by the capital costs required to expand pipeline and retail distribution systems, and in some territories, geological and activist challenges. The increasing availability of natural gas extracted from shale deposits in the United States may accelerate the extension of natural gas pipelines in the future.  Although the extension of natural gas pipelines to previously unserved geographic areas tends to displace propane distribution in those areas, we believe new opportunities for propane sales may arise as new neighborhoods are developed in geographically remote areas.  

Propane has some relative advantages over other energy sources.  For example, in certain geographic areas, propane is generally less expensive to use than electricity for space heating, water heating, clothes drying and cooking.  Utilization of fuel oil is geographically limited (primarily in the northeast), and even in that region, propane and fuel oil are not significant competitors because of the cost of converting from one to the other.

In addition to competing with suppliers of other energy sources, our propane operations compete with other retail propane distributors. The retail propane industry is highly fragmented and competition generally occurs on a local basis with other large full-service multi-state propane marketers, thousands of smaller local independent marketers and farm cooperatives. Based on industry

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statistics contained in the 2018 Annual Retail Propane Sales Report, as published by the Propane Education & Research Council in December 2019, and LP/Gas Magazine dated February 2019, the ten largest retailers, including us, account for approximately 35% of the total retail sales of propane in the United States. Each of our customer service centers operates in its own competitive environment because retail marketers tend to locate in close proximity to customers in order to lower the cost of providing service.  Our typical customer service center has an effective marketing radius of approximately 50 miles, although in certain areas the marketing radius may be extended by one or more satellite offices.  Most of our customer service centers compete with five or more marketers or distributors.

Fuel Oil and Refined Fuels

Product Distribution and Marketing

We market and distribute fuel oil, kerosene, diesel fuel and gasoline to approximately 38,000 residential and commercial customers primarily in the northeast region of the United States.  Sales of fuel oil and refined fuels for fiscal 2020 amounted to 26.0 million gallons. Approximately 69% of the fuel oil and refined fuels gallons sold by us in fiscal 2020 were to residential customers, principally for home heating, 6% were to commercial customers, and 7% to other users.  Sales of diesel and gasoline accounted for the remaining 18% of total volumes sold in this segment during fiscal 2020.  Fuel oil has a more limited use, compared to propane, and is used almost exclusively for space and water heating in residential and commercial buildings.  We sell diesel fuel and gasoline to commercial and industrial customers for use primarily to operate motor vehicles.

Approximately 45% of our fuel oil customers receive their fuel oil under an automatic delivery system.  These deliveries are scheduled through proprietary computer technology, based upon each customer’s historical consumption patterns and prevailing weather conditions.  Additionally, we offer our customers a budget payment plan whereby the customer’s estimated annual fuel oil purchases are paid for in a series of estimated equal monthly payments over a twelve-month period.  From our customer service centers, we also sell, install and service equipment to customers who purchase fuel oil from us including heating appliances.

Deliveries of fuel oil are usually made to customers by means of tankwagon trucks, which have capacities ranging from 2,500 gallons to 3,000 gallons.  Fuel oil is pumped from the tankwagon truck into a stationary storage tank that is located on the customer’s premises, which is owned by the customer.  The capacity of customer storage tanks ranges from approximately 275 gallons to approximately 1,000 gallons. No single customer accounted for 10% or more of our fuel oil revenues during fiscal 2020.

Supply

We obtain fuel oil and other refined fuels in pipeline, truckload or tankwagon quantities, and have contracts with certain pipeline and terminal operators for the right to temporarily store fuel oil at 13 terminal facilities that we do not own.  We have arrangements with certain suppliers of fuel oil, which provide open access to fuel oil at specific terminals throughout the northeast.  Additionally, a portion of our purchases of fuel oil are made at local wholesale terminal racks.  In most cases, the supply contracts do not establish the price of fuel oil in advance; rather, prices are typically established based upon market prices at the time of delivery plus or minus a differential for transportation and volume discounts.  We purchase fuel oil from approximately 20 suppliers at approximately 50 supply points.  While fuel oil supply is more susceptible to longer periods of supply constraint than propane, we believe that our supply arrangements will provide us with sufficient supply sources.  Although we make no assurance regarding the availability of supplies of fuel oil in the future, we currently expect to be able to secure adequate supplies during fiscal 2021.

Competition

The fuel oil industry is a mature industry with total demand expected to remain relatively flat to moderately declining. The fuel oil industry is highly fragmented, characterized by a large number of relatively small, independently owned and operated local distributors.  We compete with other fuel oil distributors offering a broad range of services and prices, from full service distributors to those that solely offer the delivery service. We have developed a wide range of sales programs and service offerings for our fuel oil customer base in an attempt to be viewed as a full service energy provider and to build customer loyalty. For instance, like most companies in the fuel oil business, we provide home heating equipment repair service to our fuel oil customers on a 24-hour a day basis.  The fuel oil business unit also competes for retail customers with suppliers of alternative energy sources, principally natural gas, propane and electricity.

Natural Gas and Electricity

We market natural gas and electricity through our 100%-owned subsidiary, Agway Energy Services, LLC (“AES”), in the deregulated markets of New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland primarily to residential and small commercial customers. Historically,

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local utility companies provided their customers with all three aspects of electric and natural gas service:  generation, transmission and distribution.  However, under deregulation, public utility commissions in several states are licensing energy service companies, such as AES, to act as alternative suppliers of the commodity to end consumers.  In essence, the local utility companies distribute electricity and natural gas on their distribution systems and we make arrangements for the supply of electricity or natural gas to specific delivery points. The business strategy of this segment is to expand its market share by concentrating on growth in the customer base and expansion into other deregulated markets that are considered strategic markets.

We serve approximately 45,000 natural gas and electricity customers in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.  An Order from the New York Public Service Commission (“NY PSC“) regarding low income consumers went into effect in 2018 and required that all energy service companies (“ESCOs”) stop serving low-income consumers. As a result, AES returned approximately 7,200 of our customers to local utility service. A second order (“Reset Order”) issued by the NY PSC in 2016 attempted to impose rules that would have allowed the NY PSC to regulate ESCO pricing, which was subsequently challenged and struck down by the New York Supreme Court. On appeal, the New York State Court of Appeals issued a ruling in 2019 that held that the NY PSC cannot regulate ESCO pricing, but does have the ability to restrict an ESCO’s access to the utility distribution system if the NY PSC determines that an ESCO’s pricing is not “just and reasonable.”  In December 2019, the NY PSC issued an Order that imposed product, pricing, and other requirements on ESCOs (“Second Reset Order”).  AES was specifically and solely exempted from complying with the criteria concerning product offerings during the pendency of further rulemaking proceedings.  In September 2020, the NY PSC issued another Order reaffirming the Second Reset Order, including the exemption that allows AES to maintain its existing business model in New York while rulemaking proceedings continue.  Separately, the State of New York issued a State of Emergency Order in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Under New York laws, telemarketers are prevented from making sales calls during states of emergency.  As a result, AES halted all telemarketing sales efforts in New York in March, and this condition continues to remain in effect as of the date of this Annual Report.  

During fiscal 2020, we sold approximately 1.9 million dekatherms of natural gas and 251.0 million kilowatt hours of electricity through the natural gas and electricity segment. Approximately 87% of our customers were residential households and the remainder were small commercial and industrial customers.  New accounts are obtained through numerous marketing and advertising programs, including telemarketing and direct mail initiatives.  Most local utility companies have established billing service arrangements whereby customers receive a single bill from the local utility company, which includes distribution charges from the local utility company, as well as product charges for the amount of natural gas or electricity provided by AES and utilized by the customer.  We have arrangements with several local utility companies that provide billing and collection services for a fee.  Under these arrangements, we are paid by the local utility company for all or a portion of customer billings after a specified number of days following the customer billing with no further recourse to AES.

Supply of natural gas is arranged through annual supply agreements with major national wholesale suppliers.  Pricing under the annual natural gas supply contracts is based on posted market prices at the time of delivery, and some contracts include a pricing formula that typically is based on prevailing market prices.  The majority of our electricity requirements are purchased through the New York Independent System Operator (“NYISO”) and PJM Interconnection (“PJM”) under annual supply agreements, as well as purchase arrangements through other national wholesale suppliers on the open market.  Electricity pricing under the NYISO and PJM agreements are based on local market indices at the time of delivery.  Competition is primarily with local utility companies, as well as other marketers of natural gas and electricity providing similar alternatives as AES.

All Other

We sell, install and service various types of whole-house heating products, air cleaners, humidifiers and space heaters to the customers of our propane, fuel oil, natural gas and electricity businesses.  Our supply needs are filled through supply arrangements with several large regional equipment manufacturers and distribution companies.  Competition in this business is primarily with small, local heating and ventilation providers and contractors, as well as, to a lesser extent, other regional service providers.  The focus of our ongoing service offerings are in support of the service needs of our existing customer base within our propane, refined fuels and natural gas and electricity business segments.  Additionally, we have entered into arrangements with third-party service providers to complement and, in certain instances, supplement our existing service capabilities.

Seasonality

The retail propane and fuel oil distribution businesses, as well as the natural gas marketing business, are seasonal because the primary use of these fuels is for heating residential and commercial buildings.  Historically, approximately two‑thirds of our retail propane volume is sold during the six-month peak heating season from October through March.  The fuel oil business tends to experience greater seasonality given its more limited use for space heating, and approximately three-fourths of our fuel oil volumes are sold between October and March.  Consequently, sales and operating profits are concentrated in our first and second fiscal quarters.  Cash flows from operations, therefore, are greatest during the second and third fiscal quarters when customers pay for

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product purchased during the winter heating season.  We expect lower operating profits and either net losses or lower net income during the period from April through September (our third and fourth fiscal quarters).

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for our products, in particular propane, fuel oil and natural gas, for both heating and agricultural purposes.  Many of our customers rely on propane, fuel oil or natural gas primarily as a heating source.  Accordingly, the volume sold is directly affected by the severity of the winter weather in our service areas, which can vary substantially from year to year.  In any given area, sustained warmer than normal temperatures will tend to result in reduced propane, fuel oil and natural gas consumption, while sustained colder than normal temperatures will tend to result in greater consumption.

Trademarks and Tradenames

We utilize a variety of trademarks and tradenames owned by us, including “Suburban Propane.” We regard our trademarks, tradenames and other proprietary rights as valuable assets and believe that they have significant value in the marketing of our products and services.

Government Regulation; Environmental, Health and Safety Matters

Our operations are subject to numerous federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Generally, these laws and regulations impose limitations on the discharge of hazardous materials and pollutants and establish standards for the handling, transportation, distribution, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous materials and solid and hazardous wastes and can require the investigation, assessment, cleanup, or monitoring of, or compensation for, environmental impacts, including natural resource damages. Notably, these laws include the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (“RCRA”); Clean Air Act; Clean Water Act; National Environmental Policy Act, and their implementing regulations, as well as equivalent state and laws and regulations. Additionally, there are environmental laws and regulations specific to the sale of electricity and natural gas in the retail energy market by our wholly owned subsidiary Agway Energy Services, LLC. Under the various laws and regulations to which we are subject, we must maintain various permits and comply with various monitoring and reporting requirements.

We own real property at locations where hazardous materials may be or may have been present as a result of prior activities.  We expect that we will be required to expend funds to participate in the remediation of certain sites, including sites where we have been designated as a potentially responsible party under applicable laws and at sites with aboveground and underground fuel storage tanks.  We will also incur other expenses associated with environmental compliance.  We continually monitor our operations with respect to potential environmental issues, including changes in legal requirements and remediation technologies.  As of September 26, 2020, we had accrued environmental liabilities of $1.7 million representing the total estimated future liability for remediation and monitoring of all of our properties.

Estimating the extent of our responsibility at a particular site, and the method and ultimate cost of remediation and monitoring of that site, requires making numerous assumptions.  As a result, the ultimate cost to remediate and monitor any site may differ from current estimates, and will depend, in part, on whether there is additional contamination, not currently known to us, relating to that site. However, we believe that our past experience provides a reasonable basis for estimating these liabilities.  As additional information becomes available, estimates are adjusted as necessary.  While we do not anticipate that any such adjustment would be material to our financial statements, the result of ongoing or future environmental studies or other factors could alter this expectation and require recording additional liabilities.  We currently cannot determine whether we will incur additional environmental liabilities or the extent or amount of any such liabilities, or the extent to which such additional liabilities would be subject to any contractual indemnification protections.

Certain rules and procedures imposed by the National Fire Protection Association (“NFPA”), as well as comparable state regulations govern the safe handling of propane and establish industry standard for propane storage, distribution and equipment installation and operation in all of the states in which we operate.  In some states these laws are administered by state agencies, and in others they are administered on a municipal level.

The NFPA’s rules and procedures, as well as comparable state regulations govern the safe handling of distillates (fuel oil, kerosene and diesel fuel) and gasoline and establish the industry standard for fuel oil, kerosene, diesel fuel and gasoline storage, distribution and equipment installation and operation in all of the states in which we sell those products.  In some states these laws are administered by state agencies and in others they are administered on a municipal level.

With respect to the transportation of propane, distillates and gasoline by truck, we are subject to laws and regulations that cover the transportation of hazardous materials and are administered, respectively, by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration of the United States Department of Transportation (“DOT”), or similar state agencies.  We conduct ongoing training programs to help ensure that our operations are in compliance with these and other

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applicable safety laws and regulations.  We maintain various permits that are necessary to operate our facilities, some of which may be material to our operations.  In compliance with the DOT’s pipeline safety regulations for “jurisdictional” propane systems that serve multiple customers, we provide training and written instruction for our employees, provide customers with periodic awareness notices and safety information, have established written procedures to minimize the hazards resulting from gas pipeline emergencies and keep records of inspections.  

Our operations are subject to workplace safety standards under the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (“OSHA”) and comparable state laws that regulate the protection of worker health and safety.  Compliance with these standards is monitored through required workplace injury and illness recordkeeping, and reporting.  We believe that our operations are in compliance, in all material respects, with applicable worker health and safety standards.  We are also subject to laws and regulations governing the security of hazardous materials, including propane, under the Federal Homeland Security Act of 2002, as administered by the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”).  The DHS promulgated the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (“CFATS”) to identify and secure chemical facilities that present the greatest security risk using a risk-based tiering structure.  We have a number of facilities registered with the DHS.  Currently, we have submitted all required Top-Screens as defined by DHS and have developed approved Site Security Plans for our regulated or “tiered” facilities. Less than 5% of our facilities are designated as tiered facilities. We expect to continue to incur minor costs associated with administrative controls and enhanced physical security measures for those tiered facilities that are subject to ongoing compliance activity.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued an Endangerment Finding under the Clean Air Act, determining that emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and four other greenhouse gases (“GHGs”) threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations. Based on these findings, the EPA has begun adopting and implementing regulations to restrict emissions of GHGs from certain industries and require reporting by certain regulated facilities.  These regulations impact both our core business, as well as the retail sale of electricity and natural gas by AES. The EPA’s authority to regulate GHGs has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Changes in the EPA administration may result in the prioritization of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures and a push for significant reduction in GHG emissions.  We may incur costs associated with operational changes required to comply with any such new regulations over the coming years.

Both Houses of the United States Congress have considered adopting legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs, but have not yet succeeded in passing federal climate change legislation, due in large part to political challenges. Changes to the political landscape may result in national climate change legislation. At this time, we cannot speculate as to the extent of impact any such legislation may have on our business or results of operations.

Regardless of what happens at the national level, numerous states and municipalities have begun to adopt laws and policies to regulate GHG emissions.  These regulatory actions could require us to incur increased expenses or lost revenue. We cannot predict whether or in what form additional climate change laws and regulations will be enacted and what effect such laws and regulations may have on our business, financial condition or operations in the future. These local, state, and prospective national laws and regulations have sparked a shift in our industry toward the next generation of clean energy. We are an industry leader in this regard by making strategic investments so we can be positioned to have an adequate clean energy supply as these laws and regulations become operative. For example, we have taken a 39% equity stake in Oberon and we have also executed agreements to purchase and distribute renewable propane.  We are committed to increasing the availability of both rDME blended propane and renewable propane in the coming years.

The adoption of federal, state or local climate change legislation or regulatory programs to reduce emissions of GHGs could require us to incur increased capital and operating costs, with resulting impact on product price. We cannot predict whether or in what form climate change legislation provisions and renewable energy standards may be enacted and what effect such regulation may have on our business, financial condition or operations in the future. In addition, a consequence of climate change is increased volatility in seasonal temperatures. It is difficult to predict how the market for our products would be affected by increased temperature volatility, although if there is an overall trend of warmer winter temperatures, it could adversely affect our business.

Future developments, such as stricter environmental, health or safety laws and regulations, could affect our operations. We do not anticipate that the cost of our compliance with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including RCRA and CERCLA, as currently in effect and applicable to known sites will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.  However, there can be no assurance that our financial condition or operations will not be materially adversely affected by future discovery of, presently unknown, environmental liabilities or future environmental regulations.

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Many of the states in which we do business have passed laws prohibiting “unfair or deceptive practices” in transactions between consumers and sellers of products used for residential purposes, which give the Attorney General or other officials of that state the authority to investigate alleged violations of those laws.  From time to time, we receive inquiries or requests for additional information under these laws from the offices of Attorneys General or other government officials in connection with the sale of our products to residential customers.  Based on information to date, and because our policies and business practices are designed to comply with all applicable laws, we do not believe that the costs or liabilities associated with such inquiries or requests will result in a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations; however, there can be no assurance that our financial condition or results of operations may not be materially and adversely affected as a result of current or future government investigations or civil litigation derived therefrom.

See the Risk Factor entitled “The ability of AES to acquire and retain retail natural gas and electricity customers is highly competitive, price sensitive and may be impacted by changes in state regulations” for a description of certain regulatory and litigation impacts on our AES business.  

Employees

As of September 26, 2020, we had 3,169 full time employees, of whom 583 were engaged in general and administrative activities (including fleet maintenance), 36 were engaged in transportation and product supply activities and 2,550 were customer service center employees, as well as 105 part time employees.  As of September 26, 2020, 73 of our employees were represented by 8 different local chapters of labor unions.  We believe that our relations with both our union and non‑union employees are satisfactory.  In addition, we hire temporary workers to meet peak seasonal demands.

The following is a cautionary discussion of the most significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions that we believe are significant to our business and should be considered carefully in conjunction with all of the other information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The risks described below are not an exhaustive list of all of the risks that we face. The risks described below are organized by category of risks to the Partnership, but are not necessarily listed by order of priority or materiality. In addition to the factors discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the factors described in this item could, individually or in the aggregate, cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statements. Should unknown risks or uncertainties materialize or underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could materially differ from past results and/or those anticipated, estimated or projected. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and potentially inaccurate assumptions. In this case, the trading price of our Common Units could decline and you might lose part or all of the value in our Common Units.  Investing in our Common Units involves a high degree of risk. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. You should carefully consider the specific risk factors set forth below as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report.  Some factors in this section are Forward-Looking Statements.  See “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” above.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS

Because weather conditions may adversely affect demand for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, our results of operations and financial condition are vulnerable to warm winters and natural disasters.

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas for both heating and agricultural purposes.  Many of our customers rely on propane, fuel oil or natural gas primarily as a heating source.  The volume of propane, fuel oil and natural gas sold is at its highest during the six-month peak heating season of October through March and is directly affected by the severity and length of the winter months. Typically, we sell approximately two-thirds of our retail propane volume and approximately three-fourths of our retail fuel oil volume during the peak heating season.  Weather conditions can vary substantially from year to year in the regions in which we operate, which could significantly impact the demand for our products and our financial performance and condition.  The agricultural demand for propane is also affected by the weather, as dry or warm weather during the harvest season may reduce the demand for propane used in some crop drying applications for which we service.

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Actual weather conditions can vary substantially from year to year, significantly affecting our financial performance.  For example, average temperatures in our service territories were 10%, 6% and 7% warmer than normal for fiscal 2020, fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018, respectively, as measured by the number of heating degree days reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”).  Furthermore, variations in weather in one or more regions in which we operate can significantly affect the total volume of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas we sell and, consequently, our results of operations.  Variations in the weather in the northeast, where we have a greater concentration of propane accounts and substantially all of our fuel oil and natural gas operations, generally have a greater impact on our operations than variations in the weather in other regions.  We can give no assurance that the weather conditions in any quarter or year will not have a material adverse effect on our operations, or that our available cash will be sufficient to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness and distributions to Unitholders.

If the frequency or magnitude of significant weather conditions or natural disasters such as floods, droughts, wildfires, hurricanes or earthquakes increase, as a result of climate change or for other reasons, our results of operations and our financial performance could be negatively impacted by the extent of damage to our facilities or to our customers’ residential homes and business structures or of disruption to the supply of the products we sell.

Deterioration of general economic conditions have harmed and could continue to harm our business and results of operations.

Our business and results of operations have been, and may continue to be, adversely affected by changes in national or global economic conditions, including inflation, interest rates, availability of capital markets, consumer spending rates, unemployment rates, energy availability and costs, the negative impacts caused by pandemics and public health crises (including the COVID-19 outbreak), and the effects of governmental initiatives to manage economic conditions.

Volatility in financial markets and deterioration of national and global economic conditions have impacted, and may continue to impact, our business and operations in a variety of ways, including as follows:

Disruption of our supply chain could have an adverse impact on our business and our operating results.

Damage or disruption to our supply chain, including third-party production or transportation and distribution capabilities, due to weather, including any potential effects of climate change, natural disaster, fire or explosion, terrorism, pandemics (such as the COVID-19 outbreak), strikes, government action, economic and operational considerations of producers and refineries, or other reasons beyond our control or the control of our suppliers and business partners, could impair our ability to acquire sufficient supplies of the products we sell.

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In particular, we are actively monitoring the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and its potential impact on our supply chain. Although we source our propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, and natural gas from a broad group of suppliers, due to restrictions resulting from the outbreak, global supply of these fuels may become constrained, which may cause the price to increase and/or adversely affect our ability to acquire adequate supplies to meet customer demand.

Sudden increases in our costs to acquire and transport propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas due to, among other things, our inability to obtain adequate supplies from our usual suppliers, or our inability to obtain adequate supplies of such products from alternative suppliers, may adversely affect our operating results.

Our profitability in the retail propane, fuel oil and refined fuels and natural gas businesses is largely dependent on the difference between our costs to acquire and transport product and retail sales price.  Propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas are commodities, and the availability of those products, and the unit prices we need to pay to acquire and transport those products, are subject to volatile changes in response to changes in production and supply or other market conditions over which we have no control, including the severity and length of winter weather, natural disasters, the price and availability of competing alternative energy sources, competing demands for the products (including for export) and infrastructure (including highway, rail, pipeline and refinery) constraints.  Our supply of these products from our usual sources may be interrupted due to these and other reasons that are beyond our control, necessitating the transportation of product, if it is available at all, by truck, rail car or other means from other suppliers in other areas, with resulting delay in receipt and delivery to customers and increased expense.  As a result, our costs of acquiring and transporting alternative supplies of these products to our facilities may be materially higher at least on a short-term basis.  Because we may not be able to pass on to our customers immediately, or in full, all increases in our wholesale and transportation costs of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, these increases could reduce our profitability.  In addition, our inability to obtain sufficient supplies of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas in order for us to fully meet our customer demand for these products on a timely basis could adversely affect our revenues, and consequently our profitability.

In general, product supply contracts permit suppliers to charge posted prices at the time of delivery or the current prices established at major supply points, including Mont Belvieu, Texas, and Conway, Kansas.  We engage in transactions to manage the price risk associated with certain of our product costs from time to time in an attempt to reduce cost volatility and to help ensure availability of product.  We can give no assurance that future increases in our costs to acquire and transport propane, fuel oil and natural gas will not have a material adverse effect on our profitability and cash flow, or that our available cash will be sufficient to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness and distributions to our Unitholders.

High prices for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas can lead to customer conservation, resulting in reduced demand for our product.

Prices for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas are subject to fluctuations in response to changes in wholesale prices and other market conditions beyond our control.  Therefore, our average retail sales prices can vary significantly within a heating season or from year to year as wholesale prices fluctuate with propane, fuel oil and natural gas commodity market conditions.  During periods with high product costs for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, our selling prices generally increase.  High prices can lead to customer conservation, resulting in reduced demand for our products.

Because of the highly competitive nature of the retail propane and fuel oil businesses, we may not be able to retain existing customers or acquire new customers, which could have an adverse impact on our operating results and financial condition.

The retail propane and fuel oil industries are mature and highly competitive.  We expect overall demand for propane and fuel oil to be relatively flat to moderately declining over the next several years.  Year-to-year industry volumes of propane and fuel oil are expected to be primarily affected by weather patterns and from competition intensifying during warmer than normal winters, as well as from the impact of a sustained higher commodity price environment on customer conservation and the impact of perceived uncertainty about the economy on customer buying habits.

Propane and fuel oil compete with electricity, natural gas and other existing and future sources of energy, some of which are, or may in the future be, less costly for equivalent energy value. For example, natural gas currently is a significantly less expensive source of energy than propane and fuel oil on an equivalent BTU basis.  As a result, except for some industrial and commercial applications, propane and fuel oil are generally not economically competitive with natural gas in areas where natural gas pipelines already exist. The gradual expansion of the nation’s natural gas distribution systems has made natural gas available in many areas that previously depended upon propane or fuel oil. We expect this trend to continue, and, with the increasingly abundant supply of natural gas from domestic sources, perhaps accelerate.  Propane and fuel oil compete to a lesser extent with each other due to the cost of converting from one source to the other.

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In addition to competing with other sources of energy, our propane and fuel oil businesses compete with other distributors of those respective products principally on the basis of price, service and availability. Competition in the retail propane business is highly fragmented and generally occurs on a local basis with other large full-service multi-state propane marketers, thousands of smaller local independent marketers and farm cooperatives. Our fuel oil business competes with fuel oil distributors offering a broad range of services and prices, from full service distributors to those offering delivery only. In addition, our existing fuel oil customers, unlike our existing propane customers, generally own their own tanks, which can result in intensified competition for these customers.

As a result of the highly competitive nature of the retail propane and fuel oil businesses, our growth within these industries depends on our ability to acquire other retail distributors, open new customer service centers, add new customers and retain existing customers.  We can give no assurance that we will be able to acquire other retail distributors, add new customers and retain existing customers.

Energy efficiency, general economic conditions and technological advances have affected and may continue to affect demand for propane and fuel oil by our retail customers.

The national trend toward increased conservation and technological advances, including installation of improved insulation and the development of more efficient furnaces and other heating devices, has adversely affected the demand for propane and fuel oil by our retail customers which, in turn, has resulted in lower sales volumes to our customers. In addition, perceived uncertainty about the economy may lead to additional conservation by retail customers seeking to further reduce their heating costs, particularly during periods of sustained higher commodity prices. Future technological advances in heating, conservation and energy generation and continued economic weakness may adversely affect our volumes sold, which, in turn, may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Current conditions in the global capital and credit markets, and general economic pressures, may adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.

Our business and operating results are materially affected by worldwide economic conditions. Current conditions in the global capital and credit markets and general economic pressures have led to wavering consumer and business confidence and increased market volatility, which have affected business activity generally. This situation, especially when coupled with increasing energy prices, may cause our customers to experience cash flow shortages which in turn may lead to delayed or cancelled plans to purchase our products, and affect the ability of our customers to pay for our products. In addition, any disruptions in the U.S. residential mortgage market (as a result of changes in tax laws or otherwise) and the rate of mortgage foreclosures may adversely affect retail customer demand for our products (in particular, products used for home heating and home comfort equipment) and our business and results of operations.

The risk of terrorism, political unrest and the current hostilities in the Middle East or other energy producing regions may adversely affect the economy and the price and availability of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas.

Terrorist attacks, political unrest and the current hostilities in the Middle East or other energy producing regions may adversely impact the price and availability of propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas, as well as our results of operations, our ability to raise capital and our future growth. The impact that the foregoing may have on our industry in general, and on us in particular, is not known at this time. An act of terror could result in disruptions of crude oil or natural gas supplies and markets (the sources of propane and fuel oil), and our infrastructure facilities could be direct or indirect targets. Terrorist activity may also hinder our ability to transport propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels if our means of supply transportation, such as rail or pipeline, become damaged as a result of an attack. A lower level of economic activity could result in a decline in energy consumption, which could adversely impact our revenues or restrict our future growth. Instability in the financial markets as a result of terrorism could also affect our ability to raise capital.  Terrorist activity, political unrest and hostilities in the Middle East or other energy producing regions could likely lead to increased volatility in prices for propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels and natural gas. We have opted to purchase insurance coverage for terrorist acts within our property and casualty insurance programs, but we can give no assurance that our insurance coverage will be adequate to fully compensate us for any losses to our business or property resulting from terrorist acts.

Our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by governmental regulation and associated environmental and health and safety costs.

Our business is subject to a wide and ever increasing range of federal, state and local laws and regulations related to environmental, health and safety matters including those concerning, among other things, the investigation and remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater and other environmental sources, and the transportation of hazardous materials. These requirements are complex, changing and tend to become more stringent over time. In addition, we are required to maintain various permits that are

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necessary to operate our facilities, some of which are material to our operations. There can be no assurance that we have been, or will be, at all times in complete compliance with all legal, regulatory and permitting requirements or that we will not incur significant costs in the future relating to such requirements. Violations could result in penalties, or the curtailment or cessation of operations.

Moreover, currently unknown environmental issues, such as the discovery of contamination, could result in significant expenditures, including the need to comply with future changes to environmental laws and regulations or the interpretation or enforcement thereof. Such expenditures, if required, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

The ability of AES to acquire and retain retail natural gas and electricity customers is highly competitive, price sensitive and may be impacted by changes in state regulations.

The deregulated retail natural gas and electricity industries in which AES participates are highly competitive.  New York has proposed major new regulation of these industries, and other states have changed business rules to provide further protections to consumers.  An Order from the New York Public Service Commission (“NY PSC“) regarding low income consumers went into effect in 2018 and required that all energy service companies (“ESCOs”) stop serving low-income consumers. As a result, AES returned approximately 7,200 of our customers to local utility service. A second order (“Reset Order”) issued by the NY PSC in 2016 attempted to impose rules that would have allowed the NY PSC to regulate ESCO pricing, which was subsequently challenged and struck down by the New York Supreme Court. On appeal, the New York State Court of Appeals issued a ruling in 2019 that held that the NY PSC cannot regulate ESCO pricing, but does have the ability to restrict an ESCO’s access to the utility distribution system if the NY PSC determines that an ESCO’s pricing is not “just and reasonable.”  In December 2019, the NY PSC issued an Order that imposed product, pricing, and other requirements on ESCOs (“Second Reset Order”).  AES was specifically and solely exempted from complying with the criteria concerning product offerings during the pendency of further rulemaking proceedings.  In September 2020, the NY PSC issued another Order reaffirming the Second Reset Order, including the exemption that allows AES to maintain its existing business model in New York while rulemaking proceedings continue.  Separately, the State of New York issued a State of Emergency Order in March of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Under New York laws, telemarketers are prevented from making sales calls during states of emergency.  As a result, AES halted all telemarketing sales efforts in New York in March 2020, and this condition continues to remain in effect as of the date of this Annual Report.  At this time, we are unable to predict the ultimate outcome of the rulemaking, or the impact of such eventual outcome on AES’ business, but it could impact the ability of AES to acquire and retain natural gas and electricity customers.  

These industries have also seen an increase in the number of class action lawsuits brought against retailers and relating to their pricing policies and practices. Two such lawsuits were commenced against AES in 2017 and 2018, involving New York and Pennsylvania customers.  AES filed motions to dismiss both actions on procedural and substantive grounds, and the federal district court in the Pennsylvania action granted AES’ motion in its entirety in September 2018.  The Pennsylvania court also denied Plaintiff’s motion to amend his complaint and reverse the dismissal order in November 2018, which the plaintiff appealed.  In August 2020 this appeal was denied by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.  In the New York action, the federal district court granted AES’ dismissal motion in part in October 2018, but allowed plaintiff’s statutory consumer fraud and breach of contract causes of action to proceed.  While AES believes the remaining claims in the New York action are devoid of merit and intends to vigorously defend itself in the matter, we are unable to predict at this time the ultimate outcome of the New York action.  However, if we are ultimately unable to successfully defend our AES business in this class action lawsuit, a decision rendered against AES could have an adverse impact on our business and operations.

Costs associated with lawsuits, investigations or increases in legal reserves that we establish based on our assessment of contingent liabilities could adversely affect our operating results to the extent not covered by insurance.

Our operations expose us to various claims, lawsuits and other legal proceedings that arise in and outside of the ordinary course of our business. We may be subject to complaints and/or litigation involving our customers, employees and others with whom we conduct business, including claims for bodily injury, death and property damage related to operating hazards and risks normally associated with handling, storing and delivering combustible liquids such as propane, fuel oil and other refined fuels or claims based on allegations of discrimination, wage and hourly pay disputes, and various other claims as a result of other aspects of our business.  We could be subject to substantial costs and/or adverse outcomes from such complaints or litigation, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows or results of operations.

From time to time, our Partnership and/or other companies in the segments in which we operate may be reviewed or investigated by government regulators, which could lead to tax assessments, enforcement actions, fines and penalties or the assertion of private litigation claims. It is not possible to predict with certainty the outcome of claims, investigations and lawsuits, and we could in the future incur judgments, taxes, fines or penalties or enter into settlements of lawsuits or claims that could have an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations.  We are self-insured for general and product, workers’ compensation and

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automobile liabilities up to predetermined amounts above which third-party insurance applies.  We cannot guarantee that our insurance will be adequate to protect us from all material expenses related to potential future claims for personal injury and property damage or that these levels of insurance will be available at economical prices, or that all legal matters that arise will be covered by our insurance programs.

As required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we establish reserves based on our assessment of actual or potential loss contingencies, including contingencies related to legal claims asserted against us. Subsequent developments may affect our assessment and estimates of such loss contingencies and require us to make payments in excess of our reserves, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

If we are unable to make acquisitions on economically acceptable terms or effectively integrate such acquisitions into our operations, our financial performance may be adversely affected.

The retail propane and fuel oil industries are mature.  We expect overall demand for propane and fuel oil to be relatively flat to moderately declining over the next several years.  With respect to our retail propane business, it may be difficult for us to increase our aggregate number of retail propane customers except through acquisitions. As a result, we may engage in strategic transactions involving the acquisition of or investment in other retail propane and fuel oil distributors, other energy-related businesses or other related cross-functional lines of business. The competition for these acquisitions is intense and we can make no assurance that we will be able to successfully acquire other businesses on economically acceptable terms or, if we do, that we can integrate the operations of acquired businesses effectively or to realize the expected benefits of such transactions within the anticipated timeframe, or at all, such as cost savings, synergies, sales and growth opportunities.  In addition, the integration of an acquired business may result in material unanticipated challenges, expenses, liabilities or competitive responses, including:

Any one of these factors could result in delays, increased costs or decreases in the amount of expected revenues related to combining the businesses or derived from a strategic transaction and could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.

The adoption of climate change legislation could negatively impact our operations and result in increased operating costs and reduced demand for the products and services we provide.

The EPA issued an Endangerment Finding under the federal Clean Air Act, which determined that emissions of GHGs, such as carbon dioxide, present an endangerment to public health and the environment because emissions of such gases may be contributing to the warming of the earth’s atmosphere, volatility in seasonal temperatures, increased frequency and severity of storms, floods and other climatic changes. Based on these findings, the EPA has begun adopting and implementing regulations to restrict emissions of GHGs from certain industries and require reporting by certain regulated facilities.  The EPA’s authority to regulate GHGs has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Changes in the EPA administration may result in the prioritization of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures and a push for significant reduction in GHG emissions.

Both Houses of the United States Congress also have considered adopting legislation to reduce emissions of GHGs.  Although Congress has not yet enacted comprehensive federal legislation to address climate change, numerous states and municipalities have adopted laws and policies on climate change and GHG emission reduction targets.  For example, in July 2019, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act was signed into law in New York, establishing a statewide climate action framework which includes a target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050.

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While propane is considered a clean alternative to fuel and demand for propane may increase over other non-renewable sources of energy if new climate change legislation is enacted, the adoption of federal, state or local climate change legislation or regulatory programs to reduce emissions of GHGs could require us to incur increased capital and operating costs, with resulting impact on product price and demand. We cannot predict whether, when or in what form climate change legislation provisions and renewable energy standards may be enacted. In addition, a possible consequence of climate change is increased volatility in seasonal temperatures. It is difficult to predict how the market for our fuels would be affected by increased temperature volatility, although if there is an overall trend of warmer winter temperatures, it could adversely affect our business.

Our use of derivative contracts involves credit and regulatory risk and may expose us to financial loss.

From time to time, we enter into hedging transactions to reduce our business risks arising from fluctuations in commodity prices and interest rates. Hedging transactions expose us to risk of financial loss in some circumstances, including if the other party to the contract defaults on its obligations to us or if there is a change in the expected differential between the price of the underlying commodity or financial metric provided in the hedging agreement and the actual amount received.  Transactional, margin, capital, recordkeeping, reporting, clearing and other requirements imposed on parties to derivatives transactions as a result of legislation and related rulemaking may increase our operational and transactional cost of entering into and maintaining derivatives contracts and may adversely affect the number and/or creditworthiness of derivatives counterparties available to us. If we were to reduce our use of derivatives as a result of regulatory burdens or otherwise, our results of operations could become more volatile and our cash flow could be less predictable.

We face risks related to our reliance on particular management information systems and communication networks to effectively manage all aspects of our delivery of propane.

We depend heavily on the performance and availability of our management information systems, websites and network infrastructure to attract and retain customers, process orders, manage inventory and accounts receivable collections, maintain distributor and customer information, maintain cost-efficient operations, assist in delivering our products on a timely basis and otherwise conduct our business. We have centralized our information systems and we rely on third-party communications service and system providers to provide technology services and link our systems with the business locations these systems were designed to serve. Any failure or disruption in the availability or operation of those management information systems, loss of employees knowledgeable about such systems, termination of our relationship with one or more of these key third-party providers or failure to continue to modify such systems effectively as our business expands could create negative publicity that damages our reputation or otherwise adversely impact our ability to manage our business effectively. We may experience system interruptions or disruptions for a variety of reasons, including as the result of network failures, power outages, cyber attacks, employee errors, software errors, an unusually high volume of visitors attempting to access our systems, or localized conditions such as fire, explosions or power outages or broader geographic events such as earthquakes, storms, floods, epidemics, strikes, acts of war, civil unrest or terrorist acts. Because we are dependent in part on independent third parties for the implementation and maintenance of certain aspects of our systems and because some of the causes of system interruptions may be outside of our control, we may not be able to remedy such interruptions in a timely manner, or at all. Our systems’ business continuity plans and insurance programs seek to mitigate such risks, but they cannot fully eliminate the risks as a failure or disruption could be experienced in any of our information systems.

We face risks related to cybersecurity breaches of our systems and information technology.

Cybersecurity threats to network and data security are becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. As threats become more frequent, intense and sophisticated, the costs of proactive defensive measures may increase as we seek to continue to protect our management information systems, websites and network. Third parties may have the technology or expertise to breach the security that we use to protect our customer transaction data and our security measures may not prevent physical security or cybersecurity breaches, which could result in significant harm to our business, our reputation or our results of operations. We rely on encryption and/or authentication technology licensed from and, at times, administered by independent third parties to secure transmission of confidential information, including personally identifiable information. Our outsourcing agreements with these third-party service providers generally require that they utilize adequate security systems to protect our confidential information. However, advances in computer capabilities, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or other cybersecurity developments could render our security systems and information technology, or those used by our third-party service providers, vulnerable to a breach. In addition, anyone who is able to circumvent our security measures could misappropriate proprietary information or cause interruptions in our operations. Risks of cybersecurity incidents caused by malicious third parties using sophisticated, targeted methods to circumvent firewalls, encryption, and other security defenses, could include hacking, viruses, malicious software, ransomware, phishing attacks, denial of service attacks and other attempts to capture, disrupt or gain unauthorized access to data are rapidly evolving and could lead to disruptions in our management information systems, websites or other data processing systems, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information or corruption of data. The techniques used by third parties change frequently and may be difficult to

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detect for long periods of time. In addition, dependence upon automated systems may further increase the risk that operational system flaws, employee tampering or manipulation of those systems will result in losses that are difficult to detect or recoup.  To the extent customer data is hacked or misappropriated, we could be subject to liability to affected persons.  Any successful efforts by individuals to infiltrate, break into, disrupt, damage or otherwise steal from us or our third-party service providers’ security or information systems could damage our reputation and expose us to increased costs, litigation or other liability that could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.  

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDEBTEDNESS AND ACCESS TO CAPITAL

We face risks related to our current and future debt obligations that may limit our ability to make distributions to Unitholders, as well as our financial flexibility.

As of September 26, 2020, our long-term debt consisted of $525.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.5% senior notes due June 1, 2024, $250.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.75% senior notes due March 1, 2025, $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 5.875% senior notes due March 1, 2027 and $94.6 million outstanding under our $500.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility. The payment of principal and interest on our debt will reduce the cash available to make distributions on our Common Units. In addition, we will not be able to make any distributions to holders of our Common Units if there is, or after giving effect to such distribution, there would be, an event of default under the indentures governing the senior notes and the senior secured revolving credit facility. The amount of distributions that we may make to holders of our Common Units is limited by the senior notes, and the amount of distributions that the Operating Partnership may make to us is limited by our revolving credit facility.

The revolving credit facility and the senior notes both contain various restrictive and affirmative covenants applicable to us, the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries, respectively, including (i) restrictions on the incurrence of additional indebtedness, and (ii) restrictions on certain liens, investments, guarantees, loans, advances, payments, mergers, consolidations, distributions, sales of assets and other transactions. The revolving credit facility contains certain financial covenants:

Under the indentures governing the senior notes, we are generally permitted to make cash distributions equal to available cash, as defined, as of the end of the immediately preceding quarter, if no event of default exists or would exist upon making such distributions, and our consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, as defined, is greater than 1.75 to 1. We and the Operating Partnership were in compliance with all covenants and terms of the senior notes and the revolving credit facility as of September 26, 2020.

The amount and terms of our debt may also adversely affect our ability to finance future operations and capital needs, limit our ability to pursue acquisitions and other business opportunities and make our results of operations more susceptible to adverse economic and industry conditions. In addition to our outstanding indebtedness, we may in the future require additional debt to finance acquisitions or for general business purposes; however, credit market conditions may impact our ability to access such financing.  If we are unable to access needed financing or to generate sufficient cash from operations, we may be required to abandon certain projects or curtail capital expenditures.  Additional debt, where it is available, could result in an increase in our leverage.  Our ability to make principal and interest payments depends on our future performance, which is subject to many factors, some of which are beyond our control.  As interest expense increases (whether due to an increase in interest rates and/or the size of aggregate outstanding debt), our ability to fund distributions on our Common Units may be impacted, depending on the level of revenue generation, which is not assured.

Our operating results and ability to generate sufficient cash flow to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness, and to pay distributions to Unitholders, may be affected by our ability to continue to control expenses.

The propane and fuel oil industries are mature and highly fragmented with competition from other multi-state marketers and thousands of smaller local independent marketers.  Demand for propane and fuel oil is expected to be affected by many factors beyond our control, including, but not limited to, the severity and length of weather conditions during the peak heating season, customer energy conservation driven by high energy costs and other economic factors, as well as technological advances impacting energy efficiency.  Accordingly, our propane and fuel oil sales volumes and related gross margins may be negatively affected by these factors beyond our control.  Our operating profits and ability to generate sufficient cash flow may depend on our ability to continue to control

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expenses in line with sales volumes.  We can give no assurance that we will be able to continue to control expenses to the extent necessary to reduce any negative impact on our profitability and cash flow from these factors.

Disruptions in the capital and credit markets, including the availability and cost of debt and equity issuances for liquidity requirements, may adversely affect our ability to meet long-term commitments and our ability to hedge effectively, any of which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

We rely on our ability to access the capital and credit markets at rates and terms reasonable to us.  A disruption in the capital and credit markets could impair our ability to access capital and credit markets at rates and terms acceptable to us or not at all.  This could limit our ability to refinance long-term debt at or in advance of maturities or could force us to access capital and credit markets at rates or terms normally considered to be unreasonable.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR COMMON UNITS

Cash distributions are not guaranteed and may fluctuate with our performance and other external factors.

Cash distributions on our Common Units are not guaranteed, and depend primarily on our cash flow and our cash on hand. Because they are not directly dependent on profitability, which is affected by non-cash items, our cash distributions might be made during periods when we record losses and might not be made during periods when we record profits.

The amount of cash we generate may fluctuate based on our performance and other factors, including:

Our Partnership Agreement gives our Board of Supervisors broad discretion in establishing cash reserves for, among other things, the proper conduct of our business. These cash reserves will affect the amount of cash available for distributions.

Unitholders have limited voting rights.

A Board of Supervisors governs our operations.  Unitholders have only limited voting rights on matters affecting our business, including the right to elect the members of our Board of Supervisors every three years and the right to vote on the removal of the general partner.

It may be difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our Unitholders.

Some provisions of our Partnership Agreement may discourage, delay or prevent third parties from acquiring us, even if doing so would be beneficial to our Unitholders.  For example, our Partnership Agreement contains a provision, based on Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, that generally prohibits us from engaging in a business combination with a 15% or greater Unitholder for a period of three years following the date that person or entity acquired at least 15% of our outstanding Common Units, unless certain exceptions apply.  Additionally, our Partnership Agreement sets forth advance notice procedures for a Unitholder to nominate a Supervisor to stand for election, which procedures may discourage or deter a potential acquirer from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect the acquirer’s own slate of Supervisors or otherwise attempting to obtain control of the Partnership.  These nomination procedures may not be revised or repealed, and inconsistent provisions may not be adopted, without the approval of the holders of at least 66-2/3% of the outstanding Common Units.  These provisions may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions not approved in advance by our Board of Supervisors, including discouraging attempts that might result in a premium over the market price of the Common Units held by our Unitholders.

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Unitholders may not have limited liability in some circumstances.

A number of states have not clearly established limitations on the liabilities of limited partners for the obligations of a limited partnership. Our Unitholders might be held liable for our obligations as if they were general partners if:

Unitholders may have liability to repay distributions.

Unitholders will not be liable for assessments in addition to their initial capital investment in the Common Units. Under specific circumstances, however, Unitholders may have to repay to us amounts wrongfully returned or distributed to them. Under Delaware law, we may not make a distribution to Unitholders if the distribution causes our liabilities to exceed the fair value of our assets. Liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and nonrecourse liabilities are not counted for purposes of determining whether a distribution is permitted. Delaware law provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution of this kind and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution violated Delaware law will be liable to the limited partnership for the distribution amount for three years from the distribution date. Under Delaware law, an assignee who becomes a substituted limited partner of a limited partnership is liable for the obligations of the assignor to make contributions to the partnership. However, such an assignee is not obligated for liabilities unknown to him at the time he or she became a limited partner if the liabilities could not be determined from the partnership agreement.

Our limited partner interest and Unitholders’ percentage of ownership may be diluted in the future and additional taxable income may be allocated to each Unitholder.

Our Partnership Agreement generally allows us to issue additional limited partner interests and other equity securities without the approval of our Unitholders. Therefore, when we issue additional Common Units or securities ranking above or on a parity with the Common Units, each Unitholder’s partnership interest will be diluted proportionately, and the amount of cash distributed on each Common Unit and the market price of Common Units could decrease. Similarly, our Unitholders’ percentage of ownership may be diluted in the future due to equity issuances or equity awards that we have granted or will grant to our supervisors, officers and employees.  In addition, we have engaged in and may continue to undertake acquisitions financed in part through public or private offerings of securities, or other arrangements.  The issuance of additional Common Units will also diminish the relative voting strength of each previously outstanding Common Unit. In addition, the issuance of additional Common Units, or other equity securities, will, over time, result in the allocation of additional taxable income, representing built-in gains at the time of the new issuance, to those Unitholders that existed prior to the new issuance.

TAX RISKS TO OUR UNITHOLDERS

Our tax treatment depends on our status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) could treat us as a corporation, which would substantially reduce the cash available for distribution to Unitholders.

The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in our Common Units depends largely on our being treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If less than 90% of the gross income of a publicly traded partnership, such as Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., for any taxable year is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Internal Revenue Code, that partnership will be taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes for that taxable year and all subsequent years.

If we were treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, then we would pay U.S. federal income tax on our net income at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 21%, and would likely pay additional state and local income and franchise tax at varying rates. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a corporation, our cash available for distribution to Unitholders would be substantially reduced. Treatment of us as a corporation would result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to Unitholders and thus would likely result in a substantial reduction in the value of our Common Units.

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The tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships or an investment in our Common Units could be subject to potential legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations thereof, possibly on a retroactive basis.

The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including Suburban Propane Partners, L.P., or an investment in our Common Units may be modified by legislative, judicial or administrative changes and differing interpretations thereof at any time. Any modification to the U.S. federal income tax laws or interpretations thereof may or may not be applied retroactively.  Moreover, any such modification could make it more difficult or impossible for us to meet the exception that allows publicly traded partnerships that generate qualifying income to be treated as partnerships (rather than as corporations) for U.S. federal income tax purposes, affect or cause us to change our business activities, or affect the tax consequences of an investment in our Common Units.

In addition, because of widespread state budget deficits and other reasons, several states are evaluating ways to subject partnerships to entity-level taxation through the imposition of state income, franchise and other forms of taxation.

If the IRS makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns for tax years beginning after 2017, it (and some states) may collect any resulting taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) directly from the Partnership, in which case cash available to service debt or to pay distributions to our Unitholders, could be substantially reduced.

Pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, if the IRS makes audit adjustments to our income tax returns for tax years beginning after 2017, it may collect any resulting taxes (including any applicable penalties and interest) directly from us.  We will generally have the ability to allocate any such tax liability to our current and former Unitholders in accordance with their interests in us during the year under audit. However, we may not be able to (or may not choose to) so allocate that tax liability, and may not be able to (or may choose not to) similarly allocate state income or similar tax liability resulting from adjustments in states in which we do business in the year under audit or in the adjustment year; accordingly, our current Unitholders may bear some or all of the audit adjustment, even if such Unitholders did not own units during the tax year under audit.  If we make payments of taxes, penalties and interest resulting from audit adjustments, cash available to service debt or to make distributions to our Unitholders could be reduced.

A successful IRS contest of the U.S. federal income tax positions we take may adversely affect the market for our Common Units, and the cost of any IRS contest will reduce our cash available for distribution to our Unitholders.

We have not requested a ruling from the IRS with respect to our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes or any other matter affecting us. The IRS may adopt positions that differ from the positions we take. It may be necessary to resort to administrative or court proceedings to sustain some or all of the positions we take. A court may not agree with the positions we take. Any contest with the IRS may materially and adversely impact the market for our Common Units and the price at which they trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by our Unitholders because the costs will reduce our cash available for distribution.

A Unitholder’s tax liability could exceed cash distributions on its Common Units.

Because our Unitholders are treated as partners, a Unitholder is required to pay U.S. federal income taxes and state and local income taxes on its allocable share of our income, without regard to whether we make cash distributions to the Unitholder.  We cannot guarantee that a Unitholder will receive cash distributions equal to its allocable share of our taxable income or even the tax liability to it resulting from that income.

Ownership of Common Units may have adverse tax consequences for tax-exempt organizations and foreign investors.

Investment in Common Units by certain tax-exempt entities and foreign persons raises issues specific to them. For example, virtually all of our taxable income allocated to organizations exempt from U.S. federal income tax, including individual retirement accounts and other retirement plans, will be unrelated business taxable income and thus will be taxable to them. Further, with respect to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, a tax-exempt entity with more than one unrelated trade or business (including by attribution from an investment in a partnership such as ours that is engaged in one or more unrelated trades or businesses) is required to compute the unrelated business taxable income of such tax-exempt entity separately with respect to each such trade or business (including for purposes of determining any net operating loss deduction).  As a result, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, it may not be possible for tax-exempt entities to utilize losses from an investment in our partnership to offset unrelated business taxable income from another unrelated trade or business and vice versa.

Distributions to foreign persons will be reduced by withholding taxes at the highest applicable effective tax rate, and foreign persons will be required to file U.S. federal income tax returns and pay tax on their share of our taxable income. A foreign person

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who sells or otherwise disposes of a Common Unit will also be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the gain realized from the sale or disposition of that Common Unit.  The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act imposes a 10% withholding tax on the amount realized on the disposition of a partnership interest by a foreign person if any gain on the transfer of such interest would be treated as giving rise to effectively connected income.   Such withholding tax obligation is currently suspended in the case of a disposition of certain publicly traded partnership interests until further guidance is provided.

The ability of a Unitholder to deduct its share of our losses may be limited.

Various limitations may apply to the ability of a Unitholder to deduct its share of our losses. For example, in the case of taxpayers subject to the passive activity loss rules (generally, individuals and closely held corporations), any losses generated by us will only be available to offset our future income and cannot be used to offset income from other activities, including other passive activities or investments. Such unused losses may be deducted when the Unitholder disposes of its entire investment in us in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party, such as a sale by a Unitholder of all of its Common Units in the open market. A Unitholder’s share of any net passive income may be offset by unused losses from us carried over from prior years, but not by losses from other passive activities, including losses from other publicly-traded partnerships.

The tax gain or loss on the disposition of Common Units could be different than expected.

A Unitholder who sells Common Units will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the amount realized and its adjusted tax basis in the Common Units. Prior distributions in excess of cumulative net taxable income allocated to a Common Unit which decreased a Unitholder’s tax basis in that Common Unit will, in effect, become taxable income if the Common Unit is sold at a price greater than the Unitholder’s tax basis in that Common Unit, even if the price is less than the original cost of the Common Unit. A portion of the amount realized, if the amount realized exceeds the Unitholder’s adjusted basis in that Common Unit, will likely be characterized as ordinary income. Furthermore, should the IRS successfully contest some conventions used by us, a Unitholder could recognize more gain on the sale of Common Units than would be the case under those conventions, without the benefit of decreased income in prior years.  In addition, because the amount realized will include a holder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities, if a Unitholder sells its Common Units, such Unitholder may incur a tax liability in excess of the amount of cash it receives from the sale.

Reporting of partnership tax information is complicated and subject to audits.

We intend to furnish to each Unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each calendar year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1 that sets forth its allocable share of income, gains, losses and deductions for our preceding taxable year.  In preparing these schedules, we use various accounting and reporting conventions and adopt various depreciation and amortization methods.  We cannot guarantee that these conventions will yield a result that conforms to statutory or regulatory requirements or to administrative pronouncements of the IRS.  Further, our income tax return may be audited, which could result in an audit of a Unitholder’s income tax return and increased liabilities for taxes because of adjustments resulting from the audit.

We treat each purchaser of our Common Units as having the same tax benefits without regard to the actual Common Units purchased. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could adversely affect the value of the Common Units.

Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of Common Units and because of other reasons, uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the Common Units to a purchaser of Common Units of the same class must be maintained. To maintain uniformity and for other reasons, we have adopted certain depreciation and amortization conventions that may be inconsistent with Treasury Regulations. A successful IRS challenge to those positions could adversely affect the amount of tax benefits available to a Unitholder.  It also could affect the timing of these tax benefits or the amount of gain from the sale of Common Units, and could have a negative impact on the value of our Common Units or result in audit adjustments to a Unitholder’s income tax return.

We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our Common Units each month based upon the ownership of our Common Units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular Common Unit is transferred. The IRS may challenge this treatment, which could change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our Unitholders.

We prorate our items of income, gain, loss and deduction between transferors and transferees of our Common Units each month based upon the ownership of our Common Units on the first day of each month, instead of on the basis of the date a particular Common Unit is transferred. Treasury Regulations provide a safe harbor pursuant to which publicly traded partnerships may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferors and transferees of our Common Units.  However, if the IRS were to challenge our proration method, we may be required to change the allocation of items of income, gain, loss and deduction among our Unitholders.

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Unitholders may have negative tax consequences if we default on our debt or sell assets.

If we default on any of our debt obligations, our lenders will have the right to sue us for non-payment. This could cause an investment loss and negative tax consequences for Unitholders through the realization of taxable income by Unitholders without a corresponding cash distribution. Likewise, if we were to dispose of assets and realize a taxable gain while there is substantial debt outstanding and proceeds of the sale were applied to the debt, Unitholders could have increased taxable income without a corresponding cash distribution.

There are state, local and other tax considerations for our Unitholders.

In addition to U.S. federal income taxes, Unitholders will likely be subject to other taxes, such as state and local taxes, unincorporated business taxes and estate, inheritance or intangible taxes that are imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property, even if the Unitholder does not reside in any of those jurisdictions. A Unitholder will likely be required to file state and local income tax returns and pay state and local income taxes in some or all of the various jurisdictions in which we do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. It is the responsibility of each Unitholder to file all U.S. federal, state and local income tax returns that may be required of each Unitholder.

A Unitholder whose Common Units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of Common Units may be considered as having disposed of those Common Units.  If so, that Unitholder would no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Common Units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition.

Because lending a partnership interest is not tax free, a Unitholder whose Common Units are loaned to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of Common Units may be considered as having disposed of the loaned Common Units.  In that case, a Unitholder may no longer be treated for tax purposes as a partner with respect to those Common Units during the period of the loan to the short seller and may recognize gain or loss from such disposition.  Moreover, during the period of the loan to the short seller, any of our income, gain, loss or deduction with respect to those Common Units may not be reportable by the Unitholder and any cash distribution received by the Unitholder as to those Common Units could be fully taxable as ordinary income.  Unitholders desiring to ensure their status as partners and avoid the risk of gain recognition from a loan to a short seller should consult their own tax advisors to discuss whether it is advisable to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing their Common Units.

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None.

As of September 26, 2020, we owned approximately 74% of our customer service center and satellite locations and leased the balance of our retail locations from third parties.  We own and operate a 22 million gallon refrigerated, aboveground propane storage facility in Elk Grove, California.  Additionally, we own our principal executive offices located in Whippany, New Jersey.

The transportation of propane requires specialized equipment.  The trucks and railroad tank cars utilized for this purpose carry specialized steel tanks that maintain the propane in a liquefied state. As of September 26, 2020, we had a fleet of 11 transport truck tractors, of which we owned 8, and 23 railroad tank cars, of which we owned none.  In addition, as of September 26, 2020 we had 1,149 bobtail and rack trucks, of which we owned 37%, 111 fuel oil tankwagons, of which we owned 50%, and 1,286 other delivery and service vehicles, of which we owned 35%.  We lease the vehicles we do not own.  As of September 26, 2020, we also owned approximately 790,000 customer propane storage tanks with typical capacities of 100 to 500 gallons, 54,000 customer propane storage tanks with typical capacities of over 500 gallons and 271,000 portable propane cylinders with typical capacities of five to ten gallons.

Our operations are subject to operating hazards and risks normally incidental to handling, storing and delivering combustible liquids such as propane.  We have been, and will continue to be, a defendant in various legal proceedings and litigation as a result of these operating hazards and risks, and as a result of other aspects of our business. In this regard, our natural gas and electricity business is currently a defendant in a putative class action suit in the Northern District of New York. The complaint alleges a number of claims under various consumer statutes and common law in New York and Pennsylvania regarding pricing offered to electricity customers in those states. The complaint was dismissed in part by the district court, but causes of action based on the New York consumer statute and breach of contract were allowed to proceed.  Based on the nature of the allegations under this suit, we believe that the suit is without merit and we are defending against it vigorously. Accordingly, we have determined, based on the allegations and discovery to date in the suit, that no reserve for a loss contingency is required.  We are unable to reasonably estimate the possible loss or range of loss, if any, arising from the action.  Although any litigation is inherently uncertain, based on past experience, the information currently available to us, and the amount of our accrued insurance liabilities, we do not believe that currently pending or threatened litigation matters, or known claims or known contingent claims, will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flow.

None.

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PART II

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The following table presents our selected consolidated historical financial data as derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, certain of which are included elsewhere in this Annual Report.  All amounts in the tables below, except per unit data, are in thousands.

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The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

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The following is a discussion of our financial condition and results of operations, which should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Executive Overview

The following are factors that regularly affect our operating results and financial condition.  In addition, our business is subject to the risks and uncertainties described in Item 1A of this Annual Report.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in increased unemployment, commodity and stock market volatility, and uncertainty about conditions that will prevail in the months ahead. Certain of our commercial and industrial customers have temporarily curtailed or suspended operations in light of the pandemic, many in response to temporary governmental measures seeking to manage the spread and impact of the COVID-19 virus.  We have seen a slowing in cash collections on outstanding accounts receivable as well, which we believe is in response to general economic conditions and uncertainty.  As a result, we experienced lower revenues in certain customer sectors, and we are closely monitoring credit and collections activities.  We took decisive action to adapt our business model and modify our operating protocols in order to help protect the health and safety of our employees, while ensuring seamless delivery of our essential services to the customers and communities we serve.  We have also seen restrictions on our ability to decline business or to enforce our collection rights with respect to certain customers who refuse to pay for or negotiate a payment plan for products or services rendered in certain states in which we operate.  While we expect that many of these effects will not be permanent, it is impossible to predict their duration.  We have developed, implemented and continue to refine alternative operational plans, inclusive of manpower levels, to address different customer demand scenarios, and we continue to evaluate the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on future cash flows and access to adequate liquidity as we navigate through fiscal 2021.

Product Costs and Supply

The level of profitability in the retail propane, fuel oil, natural gas and electricity businesses is largely dependent on the difference between retail sales price and our costs to acquire and transport products.  The unit cost of our products, particularly propane, fuel oil and natural gas, is subject to volatility as a result of supply and demand dynamics or other market conditions, including, but not limited to, economic and political factors impacting crude oil and natural gas supply or pricing.  We enter into product supply contracts that are generally one-year agreements subject to annual renewal, and also purchase product on the open market.  We attempt to reduce price risk by pricing product on a short-term basis.  Our propane supply contracts typically provide for pricing based upon index formulas using the posted prices established at major supply points such as Mont Belvieu, Texas, or Conway, Kansas (plus transportation costs) at the time of delivery.

To supplement our annual purchase requirements, we may utilize forward fixed price purchase contracts to acquire a portion of the propane that we resell to our customers, which allows us to manage our exposure to unfavorable changes in commodity prices and to assure adequate physical supply.  The percentage of contract purchases, and the amount of supply contracted for under forward contracts at fixed prices, will vary from year to year based on market conditions.

Changes in our costs to acquire and transport products can occur rapidly over a short period of time and can impact profitability.  There is no assurance that we will be able to pass on product acquisition and transportation cost increases fully or immediately, particularly when such costs increase rapidly.  Therefore, average retail sales prices can vary significantly from year to year as our costs fluctuate with the propane, fuel oil, crude oil and natural gas commodity markets and infrastructure conditions.  In addition, periods of sustained higher commodity and/or transportation prices can lead to customer conservation, resulting in reduced demand for our product.

Seasonality

The retail propane and fuel oil distribution businesses, as well as the natural gas marketing business, are seasonal because these fuels are primarily used for heating in residential and commercial buildings.  Historically, approximately two‑thirds of our retail propane volume is sold during the six-month peak heating season from October through March. The fuel oil business tends to experience greater seasonality given its more limited use for space heating and approximately three-fourths of our fuel oil volumes are sold between October and March. Consequently, sales and operating profits are concentrated in our first and second fiscal quarters.  Cash flows from operations, therefore, are greatest during the second and third fiscal quarters when customers pay for product

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purchased during the winter heating season.  We expect lower operating profits and either net losses or lower net income during the period from April through September (our third and fourth fiscal quarters).  To the extent necessary, we will reserve cash from the second and third quarters for distribution to holders of our Common Units in the fourth quarter and the following fiscal year first quarter.

CARES Act

On March 27, 2020, Congress passed and the President of the United States signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”) to provide emergency economic assistance to those affected by COVID-19.  We are taking advantage of certain of the benefits offered under the CARES Act, including but not necessarily limited to:

Weather

Weather conditions have a significant impact on the demand for our products, in particular propane, fuel oil and natural gas, for both heating and agricultural purposes.  Many of our customers rely heavily on propane, fuel oil or natural gas as a heating source.  Accordingly, the volume sold is directly affected by the severity of the winter weather in our service areas, which can vary substantially from year to year.  In any given area, sustained warmer than normal temperatures will tend to result in reduced propane, fuel oil and natural gas consumption, while sustained colder than normal temperatures will tend to result in greater consumption.

Hedging and Risk Management Activities

We engage in hedging and risk management activities to reduce the effect of price volatility on our product costs and to ensure the availability of product during periods of short supply.  We enter into propane forward, options and swap agreements with third parties, and use futures and options contracts traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange (“NYMEX”) to purchase and sell propane, fuel oil, crude oil and natural gas at fixed prices in the future.  The majority of the futures, forward and options agreements are used to hedge price risk associated with propane and fuel oil physical inventory, as well as, in certain instances, forecasted purchases of propane or fuel oil.  In addition, we sell propane and fuel oil to customers at fixed prices, and enter into derivative instruments to hedge a portion of our exposure to fluctuations in commodity prices as a result of selling the fixed price contracts. Forward contracts are generally settled physically at the expiration of the contract whereas futures, options and swap contracts are generally settled at the expiration of the contract through a net settlement mechanism.  Although we use derivative instruments to reduce the effect of price volatility associated with priced physical inventory and forecasted transactions, we do not use derivative instruments for speculative trading purposes. Risk management activities are monitored by an internal Commodity Risk Management Committee, made up of six members of management and reporting to our Audit Committee, through enforcement of our Hedging and Risk Management Policy.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

Our significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies included within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements section elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Certain amounts included in or affecting our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures must be estimated, requiring management to make certain assumptions with respect to values or conditions that cannot be known with certainty at the time the financial statements are prepared.  The preparation of financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We are also subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ from estimated results. Estimates are used when accounting for depreciation and amortization of long-lived assets, employee benefit plans, self-insurance and litigation reserves, environmental reserves, allowances for doubtful accounts, asset valuation assessments and valuation of derivative instruments.  We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources.  Any effects on our business, financial position or results of operations resulting from revisions to these estimates are recorded in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known to us.  Management has

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reviewed these critical accounting estimates and related disclosures with the Audit Committee of our Board of Supervisors.  We believe that the following are our critical accounting estimates:

Allowances for Doubtful Accounts.  We maintain allowances for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of our customers to make required payments.  We estimate our allowances for doubtful accounts using a specific reserve for known or anticipated uncollectible accounts, as well as an estimated reserve for potential future uncollectible accounts taking into consideration our historical write-offs.  If the financial condition of one or more of our customers were to deteriorate resulting in an impairment in their ability to make payments, additional allowances could be required.  As a result of our large customer base, which is comprised of approximately 1.0 million customers, no individual customer account is material.  Therefore, while some variation to actual results occurs, historically such variability has not been material.  Schedule II, Valuation and Qualifying Accounts, provides a summary of the changes in our allowances for doubtful accounts during the period.

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits.  We estimate the rate of return on plan assets, the discount rate used to estimate the present value of future benefit obligations and the expected cost of future health care benefits in determining our annual pension and other postretirement benefit costs.  We use the Society of Actuaries’ mortality scale (MP-2019) and other actuarial life expectancy information when developing the annual mortality assumptions for our pension and postretirement benefit plans, which are used to measure net periodic benefit costs and the obligation under these plans.  While we believe that our assumptions are appropriate, significant differences in our actual experience or significant changes in market conditions may materially affect our pension and other postretirement benefit obligations and our future expense.  

Accrued Insurance.  Our accrued insurance represents the estimated costs of known and anticipated or unasserted claims for incidents related to general and product, workers’ compensation and automobile liability.  For each claim, we record a provision up to the estimated amount of the probable claim utilizing actuarially determined loss development factors applied to actual claims data.  Our insurance provisions are susceptible to change to the extent that actual claims development differs from historical claims development.  We maintain insurance coverage wherein our net exposure for insured claims is limited to the insurance deductible, claims above which are paid by our insurance carriers.  For the portion of our estimated insurance liability that exceeds our deductibles, we record an asset related to the amount of the liability expected to be paid by the insurance companies.  Historically, we have not experienced significant variability in our actuarial estimates for claims incurred but not reported.  Accrued insurance provisions for reported claims are reviewed at least quarterly, and our assessment of whether a loss is probable and/or reasonably estimable is updated as necessary.  Due to the inherently uncertain nature of, in particular, product liability claims, the ultimate loss may differ materially from our estimates.  However, because of the nature of our insurance arrangements, those material variations historically have not, nor are they expected in the future to have, a material impact on our results of operations or financial position.

Loss Contingencies.  In the normal course of business, we are involved in various claims and legal proceedings.  We record a liability for such matters when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amounts can be reasonably estimated.  The liability includes probable and estimable legal costs to the point in the legal matter where we believe a conclusion to the matter will be reached.  When only a range of possible loss can be established, the most probable amount in the range is accrued.  If no amount within this range is a better estimate than any other amount within the range, the minimum amount in the range is accrued.

We contribute to multi-employer pension plans (“MEPPs”) in accordance with various collective bargaining agreements covering union employees.  As one of the many participating employers in these MEPPs, we are responsible with the other participating employers for any plan underfunding.  Due to the uncertainty regarding future factors that could impact the withdrawal liability, we are unable to determine the timing of the payment of the future withdrawal liability, or additional future withdrawal liability, if any.

Fair Values of Acquired Assets and Liabilities.  From time to time, we enter into material business combinations. In accordance with accounting guidance associated with business combinations, the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their estimated fair value as of the acquisition date.  Fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed are based upon available information and may involve us engaging an independent third party to perform an appraisal.  Estimating fair values can be complex and subject to significant business judgment. Estimates most commonly impact property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, including goodwill.  Generally, we have, if necessary, up to one year from the acquisition date to finalize our estimates of acquisition date fair values.

Results of Operations and Financial Condition

Net income for fiscal 2020 was $60.8 million, or $0.98 per Common Unit, compared to $68.6 million, or $1.11 per Common Unit, in fiscal 2019.

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Net income and EBITDA (as defined and reconciled below) for fiscal 2020 included a $1.1 million pension settlement charge and a $0.1 million loss on debt extinguishment.  Excluding the effects of the foregoing items and unrealized non-cash mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both years, Adjusted EBITDA (as defined and reconciled below) amounted to $253.7 million for fiscal 2020, compared to $275.0 million in the prior year.

Retail propane gallons sold in fiscal 2020 of 402.9 million gallons decreased 5.6% compared to the prior year, primarily due to warmer than normal weather conditions during the most critical months for heat-related demand.  While average temperatures (as measured by heating degree days) across all of our service territories for fiscal 2020 were 10% warmer than normal and 4% warmer than the prior year, average temperatures during the peak demand months of December through February were 14% warmer than normal -- on par with the warmest temperatures on record.

Revenues for fiscal 2020 of $1,107.9 million decreased 12.6% compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower retail selling prices associated with lower wholesale costs, coupled with lower propane volumes sold.

Cost of products sold for fiscal 2020 of $383.0 million decreased 26.6% compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower wholesale costs and lower volumes sold.  Average propane prices (basis Mont Belvieu, Texas) decreased 27.9% compared to the prior year.  Cost of products sold for fiscal 2020 included a $0.4 million unrealized non-cash loss attributable to the mark-to-market adjustment for derivative instruments used in risk management activities, compared to an $8.0 million unrealized non-cash loss in fiscal 2019.  These unrealized items are excluded from Adjusted EBITDA for both periods in the table below.

Combined operating and general and administrative expenses of $467.9 million for fiscal 2020 decreased 1.3% compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower volume-related variable operating costs and lower variable compensation, partially offset by an increase in accruals for self-insured liabilities and other legal matters.    

The unprecedented health and economic crisis from COVID-19 continues to represent a complex uncertainty, which has had a profound negative overall impact on employment and the economy.  While our business is considered an essential critical service, our business is not immune to the challenges presented by the dramatic economic slowdown resulting from governmental and voluntary measures instituted to mitigate the spread of the virus.  The areas of our business that have been impacted by the economic slowdown are:

Although there is uncertainty related to the anticipated impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our future results, we believe our efficient and flexible business model, as well as the recent steps taken to strengthen our balance sheet and reduce our cash requirements, leave us well positioned to manage our business through the crisis as it continues to unfold.  Nonetheless, as we progress through fiscal 2021, there remains significant uncertainty regarding the length of the economic slowdown and the scope and duration of governmental policies that have been, or may in the future be, instituted to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the timing of a potential economic recovery and the potential impact on the ability of our customers to recover from the effects of the slowdown.  We will continue to adapt to the changing circumstances and make decisions to help ensure the long-term sustainability of our businesses, and our financial flexibility to be opportunistic for strategic growth initiatives.

In response, we developed, implemented and continue to refine alternative operational plans, inclusive of manpower levels, to address different customer demand scenarios, and we continue to evaluate the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on future cash flows and access to adequate liquidity as we progress through fiscal 2021.  Moreover, in the face of all of these challenges, we

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succeeded in accomplishing a number of significant goals in fiscal 2020 that will provide further support for our long-term strategic growth initiatives.  The following highlights a few accomplishments for fiscal 2020:

On July 23, 2020, we announced that our quarterly distribution was reduced from $0.60 per Common Unit to $0.30 per Common Unit effective for the distribution payable in respect of the third quarter of fiscal 2020.  This proactive step will reduce our annual cash requirements by approximately $75 million, and contribute to our efforts to accelerate debt reduction, further strengthen our balance sheet and enhance our financial flexibility to support our strategic growth initiatives.  On October 22, 2020, we announced that our Board of Supervisors declared a quarterly distribution of $0.30 per Common Unit for the three months ended September 26, 2020. This quarterly distribution rate equates to an annualized rate of $1.20 per Common Unit.  The distribution was paid on November 10, 2020 to Common Unitholders of record as of November 3, 2020.  

As we look ahead to fiscal 2021, our anticipated cash requirements include: (i) maintenance and growth capital expenditures of approximately $35.0 million; (ii) approximately $68.0 million of interest and income tax payments; and (iii) approximately $75.0 million of distributions to Unitholders, based on the current annualized rate of $1.20 per Common Unit.  Based on our liquidity position, which includes availability of funds under the Revolving Credit Facility and expected cash flow from operating activities, we expect to have sufficient funds to meet our current and future obligations.

Fiscal Year 2020 Compared to Fiscal Year 2019

Revenues

Total revenues decreased $159.8 million, or 12.6%, to $1,107.9 million for fiscal 2020 compared to $1,267.7 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower volumes sold and lower average selling prices associated with lower wholesale costs.  As discussed above, average temperatures (as measured in heating degree days) across all of our service territories for fiscal 2020 were 10% warmer than normal and 4% warmer than the prior year .  The warmer temperatures compared to the prior year were experienced throughout most of the fiscal 2020 heating season, with exceptionally warm temperatures occurring during December 2019 through February 2020 which are the most critical months for heat-related demand, with cooler temperatures only arriving for the less

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impactful third fiscal quarter.  Average temperatures during the months of December 2019 through February 2020 were 14% warmer than normal, which was comparable to the warmest temperatures on record for that period, and 7% warmer than the same period of the prior year.

Revenues from the distribution of propane and related activities of $955.1 million for fiscal 2020 decreased $128.3 million, or 11.8%, compared to $1,083.4 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower average retail selling prices associated with a decline in wholesale costs and lower volumes sold resulting from the negative impact of warmer weather on customer demand.  Average propane selling prices for fiscal 2020 decreased 6.3% compared to the prior year, resulting in a $63.9 million decrease in revenues.  Retail propane gallons sold in fiscal 2020 decreased 23.9 million gallons, or 5.6%, to 402.9 million gallons, resulting in a decrease in revenues of $60.4 million.  Included within the propane segment are revenues from risk management activities of $0.4 million for fiscal 2020, which decreased $4.0 million primarily due to a lower notional amount of hedging contracts used in risk management activities that were settled physically.

Revenues from the distribution of fuel oil and refined fuels of $75.0 million for fiscal 2020 decreased $17.0 million, or 18.5%, from $92.1 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower volumes sold resulting from the negative impact of warmer weather on customer demand and lower average selling prices associated with a decline in wholesale costs. Fuel oil and refined fuels gallons sold decreased 3.8 million gallons, or 12.7%, resulting in an $11.6 million decrease in revenues.  Average selling prices for fuel oil and refined fuels decreased 6.8%, resulting in a $5.4 million decrease in revenues.    

Revenues in our natural gas and electricity segment decreased $14.0 million, or 31.0%, to $31.2 million in fiscal 2020 compared to $45.2 million in the prior year mainly due to a reduction to the customer base resulting from actions taken by the New York State Public Utility Commission to reregulate this segment of our business (see Item 1), as well as lower usage due to warmer weather.

Cost of Products Sold

The cost of products sold reported in the consolidated statements of operations represents the weighted average unit cost of propane, fuel oil and refined fuels, natural gas and electricity sold, including transportation costs to deliver product from our supply points to storage or to our customer service centers.  Cost of products sold also includes the cost of appliances and related parts sold or installed by our customer service centers computed on a basis that approximates the average cost of the products.  

Given the retail nature of our operations, we maintain a certain level of priced physical inventory to help ensure that our field operations have adequate supply commensurate with the time of year.  Our strategy has been, and will continue to be, to keep our physical inventory priced relatively close to market for our field operations.  Consistent with past practices, we principally utilize futures and/or options contracts traded on the NYMEX to mitigate the price risk associated with our priced physical inventory.  Under this risk management strategy, realized gains or losses on futures or options contracts, which are reported in cost of products sold, will typically offset losses or gains on the physical inventory once the product is sold (which may or may not occur in the same accounting period).  We do not use futures or options contracts, or other derivative instruments, for speculative trading purposes.  Unrealized non-cash gains or losses from changes in the fair value of derivative instruments that are not designated as cash flow hedges are recorded within cost of products sold.  Cost of products sold excludes depreciation and amortization; these amounts are reported separately within the consolidated statements of operations.

From a commodity perspective, wholesale propane prices trended lower during the first half of the fiscal year and then stayed fairly range bound in the $0.45 to $0.55 per gallon range, basis Mont Belvieu, Texas. As of September 2020, propane inventory levels in the United States were 6% higher than at September 2019 and 13% above the 5-year average for September, as strong U.S. production outpaced domestic demand and exports.  Overall, average posted propane prices (basis Mont Belvieu, Texas) and fuel oil prices during fiscal 2020 were approximately 28.0% lower than the prior year.  The net change in the fair value of derivative

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instruments during the fiscal year resulted in unrealized non-cash losses of $0.4 million and $8.0 million reported in cost of products sold in fiscal 2020 and 2019, respectively, resulting in a year-over-year decrease of $7.6 million in cost of products sold, all of which was reported in the propane segment.

Cost of products sold associated with the distribution of propane and related activities of $305.8 million for fiscal 2020 decreased $112.5 million, or 26.9%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower wholesale costs and lower volumes sold.  The decreases in average propane costs and propane volumes sold during fiscal 2020 resulted in decreases in cost of products sold of $77.2 million and $22.8 million, respectively.  Cost of products sold from risk management activities decreased $4.9 million compared to the prior year, primarily due to a lower notional amount of hedging contracts that were settled physically, as well as the $7.6 million difference in mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments discussed above.  

Cost of products sold associated with our fuel oil and refined fuels segment of $46.3 million for fiscal 2020 decreased $16.9 million, or 26.7%, compared to the prior year, due to lower wholesale costs and lower volumes sold, which resulted in decreases in cost of products sold of $8.9 million and $8.0 million compared to the prior year, respectively.

Cost of products sold in our natural gas and electricity segment of $17.3 million for fiscal 2020 decreased $9.8 million, or 36.1%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower usage.

Total cost of products sold as a percent of total revenues decreased 6.6 percentage points to 34.6% in fiscal 2020 from 41.2% in the prior year, primarily due to the decline in wholesale costs outpacing the decline in average selling prices on a percentage basis, coupled with the impact of mark-to-mark adjustments on derivative instruments.

Operating Expenses

All costs of operating our retail distribution and appliance sales and service operations are reported within operating expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.  These operating expenses include the compensation and benefits of field and direct operating support personnel, costs of operating and maintaining our vehicle fleet, overhead and other costs of our purchasing, training and safety departments and other direct and indirect costs of operating our customer service centers.

Operating expenses of $402.0 million for fiscal 2020 decreased $1.0 million, or 0.2%, compared to $403.0 million in the prior year, primarily due to lower payroll and benefit-related costs and lower variable volume-related operating costs, offset to an extent by an increase in accruals for self-insured liabilities and other legal matters and higher vehicle lease costs.

General and Administrative Expenses

All costs of our back office support functions, including compensation and benefits for executives and other support functions, as well as other costs and expenses to maintain finance and accounting, treasury, legal, human resources, corporate development and the information systems functions are reported within general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations.

General and administrative expenses of $65.9 million for fiscal 2020 decreased $5.1 million, or 7.2%, compared to $71.0 million in the prior year, primarily due to lower variable compensation expenses attributable to lower earnings and lower professional services fees.  

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Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense of $116.8 million in fiscal 2020 decreased $4.1 million from $120.9 million in the prior year, primarily as a result of accelerated depreciation expense recorded in the prior year for assets taken out of service.

Interest Expense, net

Net interest expense of $74.7 million for fiscal 2020 decreased $1.9 million from $76.7 million in the prior year, driven primarily by a decrease in benchmark interest rates on outstanding borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility, and a lower average level of outstanding borrowings under that facility.  During fiscal 2020, we reduced total outstanding borrowings by $18.9 million with cash flows from operating activities.  See Liquidity and Capital Resources below for additional discussion.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment

In connection with the refinancing of our previous revolving credit facility during the second quarter of fiscal 2020, we recognized a non-cash charge of $0.1 million to write-off a portion of unamortized debt origination costs.

Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA

Net income for fiscal 2020 amounted to $60.8 million, or $0.98 per Common Unit, compared to $68.6 million, or $1.11 per Common Unit, in fiscal 2019. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for fiscal 2020 amounted to $252.1 million, compared to $267.0 million for fiscal 2019.

Net income and EBITDA for fiscal  2020 included (i) a $1.0 million pension settlement charge; and (ii) a loss on debt extinguishment of $0.1 million.  Excluding the effects of these items, as well as the unrealized non-cash mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both years, Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $253.7 million for fiscal 2020, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $275.0 million for fiscal 2019.

EBITDA represents net income before deducting interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization.  Adjusted EBITDA represents EBITDA excluding the unrealized net gain or loss on mark-to-market activity for derivative instruments and other items, as applicable, as provided in the table below.  Our management uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as supplemental measures of operating performance and we are including them because we believe that they provide our investors and industry analysts with additional information to evaluate our operating results.  EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not recognized terms under US GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income or net cash provided by operating activities determined in accordance with US GAAP.  Because EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as determined by us excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income, they may not be comparable to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA or similarly titled measures used by other companies.

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The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

Fiscal Year 2019 Compared to Fiscal Year 2018

Revenues

Total revenues decreased $76.7 million, or 5.7%, to $1,267.7 million for fiscal 2019 compared to $1,344.4 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower volumes sold and lower average selling prices associated with lower wholesale costs.  As discussed above, average temperatures (as measured in heating degree days) across all of our service territories for fiscal 2019 were 1% cooler than the prior year, albeit 6% warmer than normal.  The cooler temperatures compared to the prior year were principally experienced in the early and latter parts of the heating season, which generally has less of an impact on customer demand than heating degree days in December and January.  Average temperatures during the months of December and January were 8% and 10% warmer than normal, respectively, and 4% and 10% warmer than the corresponding month in the prior year, respectively.  

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Revenues from the distribution of propane and related activities of $1,083.4 million for fiscal 2019 decreased $69.9 million, or 6.1%, compared to $1,153.3 million for the prior year, primarily due to lower retail volumes sold and lower average retail selling prices associated with a drop in wholesale costs.  Retail propane gallons sold in fiscal 2019 decreased 13.2 million gallons, or 3.0%, to 426.7 million gallons, resulting in a decrease in revenues of $34.0 million.  Average propane selling prices for fiscal 2019 decreased 1.9% compared to the prior year, resulting in a $20.8 million decrease in revenues.  Included within the propane segment are revenues from risk management activities of $4.5 million for fiscal 2019, which decreased $15.1 million due to a lower notional amount of hedging contracts that were settled physically.

Revenues from the distribution of fuel oil and refined fuels of $92.1 million for fiscal 2019 increased $0.6 million, or 0.6%, from $91.5 million for the prior year, primarily due to an increase in average selling prices, offset to an extent by lower volumes sold. Average selling prices for fuel oil and refined fuels increased 4.6%, resulting in a $4.0 million increase in revenues.  Fuel oil and refined fuels gallons sold decreased 1.2 million gallons, or 4.0%, resulting in a $3.4 million decrease in revenues.  

Revenues in our natural gas and electricity segment decreased $9.1 million, or 16.8%, to $45.2 million in fiscal 2019 compared to $54.3 million in the prior year mainly due to a reduction to the customer base resulting from actions taken by the New York State Public Utility Commission to reregulate this segment of our business (see Item 1), as well as lower electricity usage.

Cost of Products Sold

From a commodity perspective, propane prices in the United States steadily decreased during most of fiscal 2019, reflecting higher U.S. propane inventory levels.  As of September 2019, inventory levels in the United States were 28% higher than at September 2018 and 9% higher than the 5-year average.  Overall, average posted propane prices (basis Mont Belvieu, Texas) and fuel oil prices during fiscal 2019 were 32.8% and 3.9% lower than the prior year, respectively.  The net change in the fair value of derivative instruments during the period resulted in unrealized non-cash losses of $8.0 million and unrealized non-cash gains of $0.3 million reported in cost of products sold in fiscal 2019 and 2018, respectively, resulting in a year-over-year increase of $8.3 million in cost of products sold, all of which was reported in the propane segment.

Cost of products sold associated with the distribution of propane and related activities of $418.3 million for fiscal 2019 decreased $63.7 million, or 13.2%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower wholesale costs and lower volumes sold.  The decreases in average propane costs and propane volumes sold during fiscal 2019 resulted in decreases in cost of products sold of $46.2 million and $14.5 million, respectively.  Cost of products sold from risk management activities decreased $11.3 million compared to the prior year, primarily due to a lower notional amount of hedging contracts that were settled physically.  

Cost of products sold associated with our fuel oil and refined fuels segment of $63.1 million for fiscal 2019 decreased $1.2 million, or 1.9%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower volumes sold, which was offset to an extent by higher average wholesale costs.  Lower volumes sold resulted in a decrease in cost of products sold of $2.5 million over the prior year.

Cost of products sold in our natural gas and electricity segment of $27.0 million for fiscal 2019 decreased $5.9 million, or 17.9%, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower electricity usage.

Total cost of products sold as a percent of total revenues decreased 2.9 percentage points to 41.2% in fiscal 2019 from 44.1% in the prior year, primarily due to the decline in wholesale costs outpacing the decline in average selling prices on a percentage basis, offset to an extent by an increase in propane costs resulting from risk management activities, net of the impact of mark-to-mark adjustments on derivative instruments.

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Operating Expenses

Operating expenses of $403.0 million for fiscal 2019 increased $5.5 million, or 1.4%, compared to $397.5 million in the prior year, primarily due to higher payroll and benefit-related costs and higher vehicle repairs and maintenance costs, offset to an extent by lower bad debt expense.

General and Administrative Expenses

General and administrative expenses of $71.0 million for fiscal 2019 increased $4.8 million, or 7.2%, compared to $66.2 million in the prior year, primarily due to higher variable compensation expenses under long-term incentive plans and higher professional services fees for marketing and advertising initiatives.  

Depreciation and Amortization

Depreciation and amortization expense of $120.9 million in fiscal 2019 decreased $4.4 million from $125.2 million in the prior year, primarily as a result of accelerated depreciation expense recorded in the prior year for assets taken out of service.

Interest Expense, net

Net interest expense of $76.7 million for fiscal 2019 decreased $0.7 million from $77.4 million in the prior year, driven primarily by a lower average level of outstanding borrowings, partially offset by an increase in short-term benchmark interest rates on outstanding borrowings under our Revolving Credit Facility.  We reduced total outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility by $30.1 million from operating cash flows during fiscal 2019.  See Liquidity and Capital Resources below for additional discussion.

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Loss on Sale of Business

During the first quarter of fiscal 2018, we sold certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of our propane segment for $2.8 million plus working capital consideration, resulting in a loss of $4.8 million.  The corresponding net assets and results of operations were not material to our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA

Net income for fiscal 2019 amounted to $68.6 million, or $1.11 per Common Unit, compared to $76.5 million, or $1.24 per Common Unit, in fiscal 2018. EBITDA for fiscal 2019 amounted to $267.0 million, compared to $278.5 million for fiscal 2018.

Net income and EBITDA for fiscal 2018 included a $4.8 million loss from the sale of certain assets and operations in a non-strategic market of the propane segment.  Excluding the effects of this item, as well as the unrealized non-cash mark-to-market adjustments on derivative instruments in both years, Adjusted EBITDA amounted to $275.0 million for fiscal 2019, compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $283.0 million for fiscal 2018.

The following table sets forth our calculations of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA: