On May 17th, Tidewater, Inc. and its affiliated debtors (“Tidewater” or “Debtors”) filed for chapter 11 protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

On the same day, the Court entered an Interim Utilities Order (click here), which among other things sets forth deadlines for utility providers to object to the proposed adequate assurance procedures or the amount of adequate assurance.  The proposed Interim Utilities Order establishes the proposed amount of adequate assurance of payment to each utility provider of the Debtors under Section 366 of the Bankruptcy Code.  The adequate assurance amount proposed by the Debtors represents the average amount owed to such utility provider over a two-week period.

Any Tidewater utility provider looking to object to the proposed adequate assurance amount or the procedures should act quickly.  By way of brief background, Section 366 of the Bankruptcy Code was enacted to balance a debtor’s need for utility services from a provider that holds a monopoly of such services, with the need of the utility to ensure for it and its rate payers that it receives payment for providing these essential services.  See In re Hanratty, 907 F.2d 1418, 1424 (3d Cir. 1990). The amount of adequate assurance required is made on a case-by-case determination and, in making such a determination, it is appropriate for the Court to consider “the length of time necessary for the utility to effect termination once one billing cycle is missed.”  In re: Begley, 760 F.2d 46, 49 (3d Cir. 1985).

Per the interim order, a final hearing on the Debtors’ utilities motion has been scheduled for June 14, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.  Objections to the proposed final order must be filed on or before June 7th at 4:00 p.m.  This bankruptcy case is pending before Judge Brendan L. Shannon.

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