SEC Form SC 13D/A filed by Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (Amendment)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 13D

(Rule 13d-101)

INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN STATEMENTS FILED PURSUANT

TO § 240.13d-1(a) AND AMENDMENTS THERETO FILED PURSUANT TO

§ 240.13d-2(a)

(Amendment No. 5)¹

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.

(Name of Issuer)

Common Shares, no par value

(Title of Class of Securities)

015857105

(CUSIP Number)

JEFFREY C. SMITH

STARBOARD VALUE LP

777 Third Avenue, 18th Floor

New York, New York 10017

(212) 845-7977

ANDREW FREEDMAN, ESQ.

MEAGAN REDA, ESQ.

OLSHAN FROME WOLOSKY LLP

1325 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10019

(212) 451-2300

(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person

Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)

April 18, 2024

(Date of Event Which Requires Filing of This Statement)

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of §§ 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box ¨.

Note:  Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits.  See § 240.13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent.

1              The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person’s initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes).

The following constitutes Amendment No. 5 to the Schedule 13D filed by the undersigned (“Amendment No. 5”). This Amendment No. 5 amends the Schedule 13D as specifically set forth herein.

Item 2 is hereby amended to add the following:

In connection with the Agreement defined and described in Item 4 below, Brett C. Carter, Christopher Lopez and Robert A. Schriesheim are no longer members of the Section 13(d) group and shall cease to be Reporting Persons immediately after the filing of this Amendment No. 5. The remaining Reporting Persons will continue filing as a group statements on Schedule 13D with respect to their beneficial ownership of securities of the Issuer to the extent required by applicable law. Each of the remaining Reporting Persons is party to the Joint Filing Agreement defined and described in Item 6 below.

Item 3 is hereby amended and restated to read as follows:

The Shares purchased by each of Starboard V&O III Fund, Starboard S LLC, Starboard C LP, Starboard L Master, Starboard G LP, Starboard X Master II and held in the Starboard Value LP Account were purchased with working capital (which may, at any given time, include margin loans made by brokerage firms in the ordinary course of business) in open market purchases, except as otherwise noted, as set forth in Schedule A, which is incorporated by reference herein.

The aggregate purchase price of the 32,248,050 Shares beneficially owned by Starboard V&O III Fund is approximately $267,629,660, excluding brokerage commissions. The aggregate purchase price of the 3,806,900 Shares beneficially owned by Starboard S LLC is approximately $31,992,268, excluding brokerage commissions. The aggregate purchase price of the 2,943,580 Shares beneficially owned by Starboard C LP is approximately $24,738,513, excluding brokerage commissions. The aggregate purchase price of the 1,658,475 Shares beneficially owned by Starboard L Master is approximately $13,938,278, excluding brokerage commissions. The aggregate purchase price of the 7,679,719 Shares beneficially owned by Starboard G LP is approximately $45,673,809, excluding brokerage commissions The aggregate purchase price of the 8,262,627 Shares beneficially owned by Starboard X Master II is approximately $68,353,762, excluding brokerage commissions. The aggregate purchase price of the 5,541,649 Shares held in the Starboard Value LP Account is approximately $46,571,705, excluding brokerage commissions.

The Shares purchased by Mr. Carter were purchased with personal funds in the open market. The aggregate purchase price of the 2,071 Shares beneficially owned by Mr. Carter is approximately $12,670, including brokerage commissions.

The Shares purchased by Mr. Lopez were purchased with personal funds in the open market. The aggregate purchase price of the 2,850 Shares beneficially owned by Mr. Lopez is approximately CAD$23,608, including brokerage commissions.

The Shares purchased by Mr. Schriesheim were purchased with personal funds in the open market. The aggregate purchase price of the 52,615 Shares beneficially owned by Mr. Schriesheim is approximately $326,213, excluding brokerage commissions.

Item 4 is hereby amended to add the following:

On April 18, 2024, Starboard Value LP and certain of its affiliates (collectively, “Starboard”) entered into an agreement with the Issuer (the “Agreement”) regarding the composition of the Issuer’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) and certain other matters. The following description of the Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Agreement, which is attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Issuer agreed to (i) immediately increase the size of the Board from nine (9) to ten (10) directors and appoint Brett C. Carter as a director and (ii) nominate Christopher Lopez (each a “New Director” and together, the “New Directors”) for election to the Board at the Issuer’s 2024 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2024 Annual Meeting”). The Issuer further agreed that the Board will nominate nine (9) individuals, including the New Directors, for election to the Board at the 2024 Annual Meeting for terms expiring at the Issuer’s 2025 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2025 Annual Meeting”), and will recommend, support and solicit proxies for the election of the New Directors at the 2024 Annual Meeting in the same manner as it recommends, supports, and solicits proxies for the election of the Issuer’s other director nominees up for election at the 2024 Annual Meeting.

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Issuer also agreed, among other things, (i) that during the period following the date of the Agreement through the conclusion of the 2024 Annual Meeting, the size of the Board will not be increased to more than ten (10) directors and upon conclusion of the 2024 Annual Meeting through the expiration of the Standstill Period (as defined below), the size of the Board will not be increased to more than nine (9) directors, in each case without the prior written consent of Starboard, (ii) to appoint at least one New Director (a) to any committee of the Board that is, or will be, tasked with the responsibilities related to the CEO search process and/or CEO succession planning, including any special committee or sub-committee of the Board that is tasked with the responsibilities related to the CEO search process and/or CEO succession planning, and (b) to any committee of the Board that is, or will be, tasked with the responsibilities related to exploring a sale of the Issuer’s Renewable Energy Group, including any special committee or sub-committee of the Board that is tasked with the responsibilities related to exploring a sale of the Issuer’s Renewable Energy Group; provided, however, that the Issuer agreed to appoint each of the New Directors to at least two (2) committees of the Board upon his respective appointment or election as a director, as applicable.

The Agreement also provides that if any New Director (or any replacement director thereof) is unable or unwilling to serve as a director or ceases to be a director for any reason at any time prior to the expiration of the Standstill Period, then Starboard has the ability to recommend a substitute person to serve on the Board who meets certain qualifications in accordance with the terms and procedures set forth in the Agreement. Starboard’s rights with respect to the replacement of the New Directors are contingent upon Starboard beneficially owning in the aggregate at least the lesser of 3% of the Issuer’s then-outstanding Shares and 20,689,757 Shares.

Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Starboard irrevocably withdrew its nomination of director candidates for election to the Board at the 2024 Annual Meeting and any related materials or notices submitted to the Issuer in connection therewith. Starboard also agreed, among other things, that it will appear in person or by proxy at the 2024 Annual Meeting and vote all of the Shares beneficially owned by it at the 2024 Annual Meeting (i) in favor of all directors nominated by the Board for election, (ii) in favor of the appointment of the Issuer’s auditor for the ensuing year, (iii) in accordance with the Board’s recommendation with respect to the Issuer’s “say-on-pay” proposal, and (iv) in accordance with the Board’s recommendation with respect to any other Issuer proposal or shareholder proposal presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting; provided, however, that in the event that Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (“ISS”) or Glass Lewis & Co., LLC (“Glass Lewis”) recommends otherwise with respect to the Issuer’s “say-on-pay” proposal or any other Issuer proposal or shareholder proposal presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting (other than proposals relating to the election or removal of directors), then Starboard is permitted to vote in accordance with the ISS or Glass Lewis recommendation. The Agreement further provides that Starboard shall be permitted to vote in its sole discretion on any proposal of the Issuer in respect of any extraordinary transaction, including any merger, acquisition, amalgamation, tender offer, exchange offer, recapitalization, restructuring, disposition, distribution, spin-off, asset sale, joint venture or other business combination involving the Issuer or any of its subsidiaries or that would result in (i) any person becoming a beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Issuer representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the equity interests and voting power of the Issuer’s then-outstanding equity securities or (ii) the Issuer entering into a share-for-share transaction whereby immediately after the consummation of the transaction the Issuer’s shareholders retain less than fifty percent (50%) of the equity interests and voting power of the surviving entity’s then-outstanding equity securities.

Starboard also agreed to certain customary standstill provisions, effective as of the date of the Agreement until the earlier of (x) the date that is fifteen (15) business days prior to the deadline for the submission of shareholder nominations for the 2025 Annual Meeting pursuant to the Issuer’s By-Law No. 5 and (y) the date that is seventy-five (75) days prior to the first anniversary of the 2024 Annual Meeting (the “Standstill Period”), prohibiting it from, among other things, (i) soliciting proxies or consents with respect to securities of the Issuer, (ii) entering into a voting agreement or forming, joining or participating in a “group” with other shareholders of the Issuer, other than certain affiliates of Starboard, (iii) seeking or submitting or knowingly encouraging any person to submit nominees in furtherance of a contested solicitation for the appointment, election or removal of directors; provided, however, that Starboard may take actions to identify director candidates in connection with the 2025 Annual Meeting so long as such actions do not create a public disclosure obligation for Starboard or the Issuer, are not publicly disclosed by Starboard, and are undertaken on a basis reasonably designed to be confidential and in accordance in all material respects with Starboard’s normal practices in the circumstances, (iv) submitting any proposal for consideration by shareholders of the Issuer at any annual or special meeting of shareholders or through any written resolution of shareholders, affirmatively soliciting a third party to make an acquisition proposal, commenting on any third-party acquisition proposal prior to such proposal becoming public, or requisitioning or seeking to requisition a special meeting of shareholders or action by a written resolution, (v) seeking, alone or in concert with others, representation on the Board other than as described in the Agreement, or (vi) advising, knowingly encouraging, knowingly supporting, or knowingly influencing any person with respect to the voting or disposition of the Shares.

The Issuer and Starboard also made certain customary representations, agreed to mutual non-disparagement provisions, and the Issuer agreed to issue a mutually agreeable press release announcing certain terms of the Agreement.

The Issuer and Starboard also entered into a non-disclosure agreement for purposes of sharing information and having discussions relating to the pursuit of a sale of the Issuer’s Renewable Energy Business and the Issuer’s CEO search.

Items 5(a) – (c) are hereby amended and restated to read as follows:

The aggregate percentage of Shares reported owned by each person named herein is based upon 689,658,549 Shares outstanding, as of April 8, 2024, which is the total number of Shares outstanding disclosed by the Issuer to Starboard in connection with the Agreement defined and described in Item 4 above.

Percentage: Approximately 4.7%

Percentage: Less than 1%

Percentage: Less than 1%

Percentage: Approximately 1.2%

Percentage: Approximately 1.6%

Percentage: Less than 1%

Percentage: Less than 1%

Percentage: Approximately 1.9%

Percentage: Approximately 1.1%

Percentage: Approximately 1.1%

Percentage: Approximately 5.8%

Percentage: Approximately 5.8%

Percentage: Approximately 9.0%

Percentage: Approximately 9.0%

Percentage: Approximately 9.0%

Percentage: Approximately 9.0%

Percentage: Approximately 9.0%

Percentage: Less than 1%

Percentage: Less than 1%

Percentage: Less than 1%

The filing of this Schedule 13D shall not be deemed an admission that the Reporting Persons are, for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the beneficial owners of any securities of the Issuer that he or it does not directly own. Each of the Reporting Persons specifically disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities reported herein that he or it does not directly own.

In addition to the Shares beneficially owned by the Reporting Persons as set forth in this filing, and while the Reporting Persons have no current knowledge of the following holdings, the Reporting Persons understand that Toronto Dominion Bank and TD Asset Management Inc. (together, “TD”) had investment discretion over 20,506,888 Shares, listed call options with respect to 488,800 Shares and listed put options with respect to 138,700 Shares as of December 31, 2023, which would represent beneficial ownership over approximately 3.0% of the outstanding Shares as of such date, as such information was set forth in the Form 13F-HR filings filed by TD on February 14, 2024 and February 12, 2024. As reported in the Form ADV filed by Starboard Value LP, Toronto Dominion Bank is included as an indirect control person under Schedule B/C Indirect Owners of the Form ADV as a result of the closing of the acquisition of Cowen Inc. by Toronto Dominion Bank. The validity of the indirect transfer of Cowen Inc.’s ownership interest in Starboard Value LP is subject to an ongoing dispute. The Reporting Persons disclaim the existence of a “group” within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act with TD or any other person other than the other Reporting Persons.

Item 6 is hereby amended to add the following:

On April 18, 2024, Starboard and the Issuer entered into the Agreement defined and described in Item 4 above and attached as Exhibit 99.1 hereto.

On April 18, 2024, the Reporting Persons entered into a Joint Filing Agreement in which the Reporting Persons who will remain Reporting Persons subsequent to this Amendment No. 5 agreed to the joint filing on behalf of each of them of statements on Schedule 13D with respect to the securities of the Issuer to the extent required by applicable law. The Joint Filing Agreement is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.2 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 7 is hereby amended to add the following exhibits:

SIGNATURES

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of his knowledge and belief, each of the undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.

Dated: April 18, 2024

SCHEDULE A

Transactions in Securities of the Issuer Since the Filing of Amendment No. 4 to the Schedule 13D

BRETT C. CARTER

CHRISTOPHER LOPEZ

ROBERT A. SCHRIESHEIM