As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 9, 2009
Registration Nos. 333-157637 and 333-157637-01
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 1
TO
FORM S-3
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CONSTELLATION ENERGY GROUP, INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| MARYLAND | 52-1964611 | |
| (State of Incorporation) | (IRS Employer Identification Number) |
BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
| MARYLAND | 52-0280210 | |
| (State of Incorporation) | (IRS Employer Identification Number) |
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Constellation Energy Group, Inc. 100 Constellation Way, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 (410) 470-2800 |
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company 2 Center Plaza, 110 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 (410) 234-5000 |
(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code,
of Registrants Principal Executive Offices)
Charles A. Berardesco
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Constellation Energy Group, Inc.
100 Constellation Way, Baltimore, Maryland 21202
(410) 470-2800
(Names and Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)
Copies To:
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Christian O. Nagler Kirkland & Ellis LLP Citigroup Center 153 East 53rd Street New York, New York 10022 (212) 446-4800 |
Robert J. Reger, Jr. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 101 Park Avenue New York, New York 10178 (212) 309-6000 |
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: After the effective date of this Registration Statement as determined by market conditions.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box. ¨
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box. x
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering. ¨
If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box. x
If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrants are large accelerated filers, accelerated filers, non-accelerated filers, or smaller reporting companies. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934: (Check one)
Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Large accelerated filer x Accelerated filer ¨ Non-accelerated filer ¨ Smaller reporting company ¨
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Large accelerated filer
¨
Accelerated filer
¨
Non-accelerated filer
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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TITLE OF EACH CLASS OF SECURITIES TO BE
REGISTERED |
AMOUNT TO BE REGISTERED/
PROPOSED MAXIMUM OFFERING PRICE PER UNIT/ PROPOSED MAXIMUM AGGREGATE OFFERING PRICE/ AMOUNT OF REGISTRATION FEE |
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Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Unsecured Debt Securities |
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Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Common Stock |
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Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Preferred Stock |
(1) | |
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Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Warrants |
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Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Stock Purchase Contracts |
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Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Units |
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Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Unsecured Debt Securities |
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Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Senior Secured Bonds |
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Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Preferred Stock |
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| (1) | There are being registered hereunder such presently indeterminate number, principal amount or liquidation amount of (a) Unsecured Debt Securities, Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Warrants, Stock Purchase Contracts and Units which may be sold from time to time by Constellation Energy Group, Inc. or a selling securityholder and (b) Unsecured Debt Securities, Senior Secured Bonds and Preferred Stock which may be sold from time to time by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company or a selling securityholder. In addition, there are being registered hereunder an indeterminate number of (a) Unsecured Debt Securities and shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock issuable by Constellation Energy Group, Inc. upon conversion or exchange of any Unsecured Debt Securities and Preferred Stock that provide for conversion or exchange into other securities or upon exercise of Warrants for such securities and (b) shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock, as applicable, to be issuable upon settlement of Stock Purchase Contracts. The Registrants are deferring payment of all of the registration fee in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act of 1933. |
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-157637 and 333-157637-01) (the Original Registration Statement) is being filed to register an additional class of securities in addition to those originally registered on the Original Registration Statement and covers the registration of (a) Unsecured Debt Securities, Common Stock, Preferred Stock, Warrants, Stock Purchase Contracts and Units which may be sold from time to time by Constellation Energy Group, Inc. or a selling securityholder; (b) Unsecured Debt Securities, Senior Secured Bonds and Preferred Stock which may be sold from time to time by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company or a selling securityholder; (c) Unsecured Debt Securities and shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock issuable by Constellation Energy Group, Inc. upon conversion or exchange of any Unsecured Debt Securities and Preferred Stock that provide for conversion or exchange into other securities or upon exercise of Warrants for such securities; and (d) shares of Common Stock or Preferred Stock, as applicable, to be issuable upon settlement of Stock Purchase Contracts. This Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 is also being filed to add as exhibits the Indenture and Security Agreement pursuant to which the Senior Secured Bonds issuable by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company are to be issued, the form of Officers Certificate setting forth the terms and conditions of each series of Senior Secured Bonds issued pursuant to the aforementioned Indenture and Security Agreement (including the form of Senior Secured Bond), the Deed of Easement and Right-of-Way Grant and the form of Purchase Agreement relating to the Senior Secured Bonds. This Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 contains a prospectus which updates the prospectus included in the Original Registration Statement by adding a description of the Senior Secured Bonds issuable by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company and by making certain changes related to the passage of time.
PROSPECTUS
Constellation Energy Group, Inc.
Unsecured Debt Securities, Common Stock,
Preferred Stock, Warrants, Stock Purchase Contracts and Units
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
Unsecured Debt Securities, Senior Secured Bonds
and Preferred Stock
This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission utilizing a shelf registration process. Under this shelf process, we may, from time to time, sell any combination of our own securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. Constellation Energy Group, Inc.s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CEG. Unless otherwise indicated in a prospectus supplement, the other securities offered hereby will not be listed on a national securities exchange.
This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time Constellation Energy Group, Inc. or Baltimore Gas and Electric Company sells securities, that company will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. This prospectus may also be used by a selling securityholder of the securities described herein.
Constellation Energy Group, Inc.s principal executive offices are located at 100 Constellation Way, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. Constellation Energy Group, Inc.s telephone number is (410) 470-2800.
Baltimore Gas and Electric Companys principal executive offices are located at 2 Center Plaza, 110 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201. Baltimore Gas and Electric Companys telephone number is (410) 234-5000.
There are risks involved with purchasing these securities. Please refer to RISK FACTORS on page 2 of this prospectus.
We urge you to carefully read this prospectus and the prospectus supplement, which will describe the specific terms of the offering, together with additional information described under the heading WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION before you make your investment decision.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any other regulatory body has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is July 9, 2009.
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You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. We are not making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents or that the information incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date of the document incorporated by reference.
As used in this prospectus, Constellation Energy or the Company refers to Constellation Energy Group, Inc. and BGE refers to Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. We, us and our refer to Constellation Energy with respect to securities issuable by Constellation Energy and BGE with respect to securities issuable by BGE.
Constellation Energy is an energy company which includes a merchant energy business and BGE, a regulated electric and gas public utility in central Maryland. Constellation Energy was incorporated in Maryland on September 25, 1995. On April 30, 1999, Constellation Energy became the holding company for BGE and its subsidiaries.
Constellation Energys merchant energy business is primarily a competitive provider of energy-related products and services for a variety of customers. It develops, owns and operates electric generation facilities located in various regions of the United States. Constellation Energys merchant energy business focuses on serving the energy and capacity requirements (load-serving) of, and providing other energy products and risk management services for, various customers.
Constellation Energys merchant energy business includes:
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a power generation and development operation that owns, operates, and maintains nuclear, fossil and renewable generating facilities, and holds interests in qualifying facilities and power projects in the United States and Canada, |
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a customer supply operation that primarily provides energy products and services to meet the load-serving obligations of wholesale and retail customers, including distribution utilities, cooperatives, aggregators, and commercial, industrial and governmental customers, and |
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a global commodities operation that manages contractually controlled physical assets, including generation facilities, natural gas properties, international coal sourcing and freight operations; provides risk management and uranium marketing services; and trades energy and energy-related commodities. |
In December 2008, Constellation Energy entered into an agreement with EDF Group and related entities (EDF) under which EDF will purchase a 49.99% ownership interest in Constellation Energys nuclear generation operation for $4.5 billion. Constellation Energy expects the sale to be completed by the end of the third quarter 2009, subject to the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other closing conditions.
In an effort to improve Constellation Energys liquidity and reduce its business risk, Constellation Energy is undertaking a number of strategic initiatives to reduce capital spending and ongoing expenses, scale down the expected variability in long-term earnings and short-term collateral usage and limit its exposure to business activities that require contingent capital support. In connection with these efforts, in March 2009 Constellation Energy sold a majority of its international commodities operation, and in April 2009, Constellation Energy sold its gas trading operation. Constellation Energy also is pursuing the sale of its upstream gas properties, subject to market conditions.
BGE is a regulated electric transmission and distribution utility company and a regulated gas distribution utility company with a service territory that covers the City of Baltimore and all or part of ten counties in central Maryland. BGE was incorporated in Maryland in 1906.
Constellation Energys other nonregulated businesses:
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design, construct and operate renewable energy, heating, cooling and cogeneration facilities and provide various energy-related services, including energy consulting, for commercial, industrial and governmental customers throughout North America, |
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provide home improvements, service heating, air conditioning, plumbing, electrical and indoor air quality systems, and provide natural gas to residential customers in central Maryland, and |
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develop new nuclear plants in North American through its joint venture (UniStar Nuclear Energy, LLC) with a subsidiary of EDF Group. |
The information above concerning Constellation Energy, BGE and, if applicable, their respective subsidiaries is only a summary and does not purport to be comprehensive. For additional information about these companies, you should refer to the information described in WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION.
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Investing in our securities involves risks. You should carefully consider the risks described under Risk Factors in Item 1A of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 for each of Constellation Energy and BGE, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2009 and incorporated by reference in this prospectus, as well as the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in any prospectus supplement hereto before making a decision to invest in our securities. See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION.
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We make statements in this prospectus and may make statements in any prospectus supplement that are considered forward looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Sometimes these statements will contain words such as believes, expects, intends, plans and other similar words. These statements are not guarantees of our future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other important factors that could cause our actual performance or achievements to be materially different from those we project. These risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to:
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the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices and volatilities for energy and energy-related products including coal, natural gas, oil, electricity, nuclear fuel, freight and emission allowances, and the impact of such changes on liquidity requirements; |
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the liquidity and competitiveness of wholesale markets for energy commodities; |
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the conditions of the capital markets, interest rates, foreign exchange rates, availability of credit facilities to support business requirements and general economic conditions, as well as Constellation Energys and BGEs ability to maintain their current credit ratings; |
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the effectiveness of risk management policies and procedures and the ability and willingness of counterparties to satisfy their financial and performance commitments; |
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the ability to complete Constellation Energys strategic initiatives to improve Constellation Energys liquidity and the impact of such initiatives on Constellation Energys business and financial results; |
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losses on the sale or write down of assets due to impairment events or changes in management intent with regard to either holding or selling certain assets; |
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the inability to successfully identify, finance and complete acquisitions and sales of businesses and assets; |
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the likelihood and timing of the completion of the pending transaction with EDF, the terms and conditions of any required regulatory approvals for the pending transaction, potential impact of a termination of the pending transaction and potential diversion of managements time and attention from Constellation Energys ongoing business during this time period; |
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the effect of weather and general economic and business conditions on energy supply, demand and prices and customers and counterparties ability to perform their obligations or make payments; |
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the ability to attract and retain customers in customer supply activities and to adequately forecast their energy usage; |
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the timing and extent of deregulation of, and competition in, the energy markets, and the rules and regulations adopted in those markets; |
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uncertainties associated with estimating natural gas reserves, developing properties and extracting natural gas; |
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regulatory or legislative developments federally, in Maryland, or in other states that affect deregulation, the price of energy, transmission or distribution rates and revenues, demand for energy or increases in costs, including costs related to nuclear power plants, safety or environmental compliance; |
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the inability of Constellation Energys and BGEs businesses to comply with complex and/or changing market rules and regulations; |
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the inability of BGE to recover all its costs associated with providing customers service; |
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operational factors affecting commercial operations of Constellation Energys generating facilities (including nuclear facilities) and BGEs transmission and distribution facilities, including catastrophic weather-related damages, unscheduled outages or repairs, unanticipated changes in fuel costs or |
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availability, unavailability of coal or gas transportation or electric transmission services, workforce issues, terrorism, liabilities associated with catastrophic events and other events beyond our control; |
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the actual outcome of uncertainties associated with assumptions and estimates using judgment when applying critical accounting policies and preparing financial statements, including factors that are estimated in determining the fair value of energy contracts, such as the ability to obtain market prices and, in the absence of verifiable market prices, the appropriateness of models and model inputs (including, but not limited to, estimated contractual load obligations, unit availability, forward commodity prices, interest rates, correlation and volatility factors); |
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changes in accounting principles or practices; and |
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cost and other effects of legal and administrative proceedings that may not be covered by insurance, including environmental liabilities. |
These factors and the other risk factors referred to in this prospectus, including under the heading Risk Factors, are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause Constellation Energys or BGEs actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any of their forward looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on Constellation Energys and BGEs future results. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward looking statements. Please see Constellation Energys and BGEs periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for more information on these factors. The forward looking statements included in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement are made only as of the date of this prospectus or such prospectus supplement.
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Except as otherwise provided in a prospectus supplement, the net proceeds from the sale of the securities will be used for general corporate purposes. If the applicable issuer does not use the net proceeds immediately, it may temporarily invest them in short-term, interest-bearing obligations.
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RATIOS OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES AND EARNINGS TO COMBINED FIXED CHARGES AND PREFERRED AND PREFERENCE DIVIDEND REQUIREMENTS
Constellation Energy
Constellation Energys Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges for each of the periods indicated is as follows:
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THREE MONTHS ENDED
MARCH 31, |
TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
DECEMBER 31, |
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2009 |
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | ||||||
| N/A(1) | N/A | (2) | 3.84 | 4.05 | 3.04 | 2.71 | |||||
| (1) | Due to the loss for the three months ended March 31, 2009, the ratio coverage was less than 1:1. Constellation Energy would have needed to generate additional earnings of $388.5 million to achieve a ratio coverage of 1:1. |
| (2) | Due to the loss for the twelve months ended December 31, 2008, the ratio coverage was less than 1:1. Constellation Energy would have needed to generate additional earnings of $1,444.7 million to achieve a ratio coverage of 1:1. |
For current information on Constellation Energys Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges, please see Constellation Energys most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and Constellation Energys most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q. See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION.
BGE
BGEs Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges for each of the periods indicated is as follows:
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THREE MONTHS ENDED
MARCH 31, |
TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
DECEMBER 31, |
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2009 |
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | |||||
| 4.82 | 1.50 | 2.84 | 3.60 | 4.22 | 3.75 | |||||
BGEs Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred and Preference Dividend Requirements for each of the periods indicated is as follows:
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THREE MONTHS ENDED
MARCH 31, |
TWELVE MONTHS ENDED
DECEMBER 31, |
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2009 |
2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | |||||
| 4.20 | 1.33 | 2.42 | 2.99 | 3.45 | 3.08 | |||||
For current information on BGEs Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred and Preference Dividend Requirements, please see BGEs most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and BGEs most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q. See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE UNSECURED DEBT SECURITIES
General
This section summarizes terms of the unsecured debt securities (the debt securities) that we may offer with this prospectus. Most of the specific terms of a series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement attached to this prospectus and may vary from the terms described herein. For a complete description of the terms of a particular offering of debt securities, you should read both this prospectus and the prospectus supplement relating to that particular offering.
Constellation Energy will issue the debt securities under an indenture, which is a contract between Constellation Energy and the trustee, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, dated as of June 19, 2008 and a subordinated indenture between Constellation Energy and the trustee, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, dated as of July 24, 2006, as supplemented by a First Supplemental Indenture dated June 27, 2008 (the Subordinated Indenture). BGE will issue the debt securities under an indenture, which is a contract between BGE and the trustee, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, dated as of July 24, 2006, as supplemented by a First Supplemental Indenture dated as of October 13, 2006. The trustee has two main roles. First, the trustee can enforce the rights of holders of the debt securities against the applicable issuer if it defaults. There are some limitations on the extent to which the trustee acts on your behalf, described later in this section under Events of Default. Second, the trustee performs certain administrative duties for the holders of debt securities, such as sending interest payments and notices, and implementing transfers of debt securities.
Copies of the indentures have been filed with the SEC and are exhibits to the registration statement which contains this prospectus. See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION to find out how to locate our filings with the SEC. The indentures and the debt securities are governed by New York law.
The indentures are summarized below. Because it is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. You should read the indentures to get a complete understanding of your rights and our obligations under the provisions described in this section under Events of Default, Supplemental Indentures and Consolidation, Merger or Sale. This summary is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, all the provisions of the indentures. We include references in parentheses to certain sections of the indentures. This summary also is subject to, and qualified by reference to, the description of the particular terms of each series of debt securities described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The indentures do not limit the amount of debt securities that may be issued. There are existing series of debt securities outstanding under our existing indentures. For current information on our debt outstanding, see our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, if any, since such Form 10-K. See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION.
The debt securities are unsecured and will rank equally with all our unsecured indebtedness issued pursuant to the same indenture unless expressly subordinated. See Subordination below. The debt securities will be subordinated to all of the issuers secured indebtedness, if any. The indentures do not limit the amount of indebtedness that the issuers subsidiaries may incur. This subsidiary debt effectively ranks senior to any debt securities that the issuer may issue. For current information on our subsidiary debt outstanding, see our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, and our most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q. See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe whether the debt securities will be subject to any conversion, amortization, or sinking or similar fund. It is anticipated that the debt securities will be book-entry, represented by a permanent global debt security registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company (DTC), or its nominee. However, we reserve the right to issue debt securities in certificated form registered in the name of the debt security holders.
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Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, the applicable issuer may from time to time, without the consent of the applicable existing note holders, create and issue further notes of each series ranking equally with the other notes of the series having the same terms and conditions as the notes of such series being offered hereby in all respects, except for issue date, issue price and if applicable, the first payment of interest therein. Additional notes issued in this manner will form a single series with the previously outstanding notes of that series.
In the discussion that follows, whenever we talk about paying principal on the debt securities, we mean at maturity, redemption or repurchase. Also, in discussing the time for notices and how the different interest rates are calculated, all times are New York City time, unless otherwise noted.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms for the debt securities including:
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title of the securities, |
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any limit on the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of that series, |
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maturity date, |
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interest rate or rates (or the method to calculate such rate), |
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remarketing provisions, |
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redemption or repurchase provisions, |
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if other than the principal amount, the portion of the principal amount payable upon maturity (known as discounted debt securities), |
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whether, and on what terms and at what prices, the debt securities may be converted into or exercised or exchanged for our common stock, preferred stock or any other type of security, and |
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any other provisions. |
Ownership of the Debt Securities
Direct Securityholders
Only registered holders of debt securities will have rights under the indentures. As noted below, we do not have obligations to you if you hold in street name or other indirect means, either because you choose to hold debt securities in that manner or because the debt securities are issued in the form of global debt securities as described below. For example, once we make payment to the registered securityholder, we have no further responsibility for the payment even if that securityholder is legally required to pass the payment along to you as a street name customer but does not do so.
Street Name and Other Indirect Holders
Investors who hold debt securities in accounts at banks or brokers will generally not be recognized by us as legal securityholders. This is called holding in street name. Instead, we recognize only the bank or broker, or the financial institution the bank or broker uses to hold its debt securities. These intermediary banks, brokers and other financial institutions pass along principal, interest and other payments on the debt securities to their customers. If you hold debt securities in street name, you should check with your own institution to find out:
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how it handles securities payments and notices, |
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whether it imposes fees or charges, |
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how it would handle voting if ever required, |
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whether and how you can instruct it to send you debt securities registered in your own name so you can be a direct securityholder as described below to the extent permitted, and |
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how it would pursue rights under the debt securities if there were a default or other event triggering the need for securityholders to act to protect their interests. |
Global Securities
A global security is a special type of indirectly held security. This means that we will not issue certificates to each beneficial owner. If we choose to issue debt securities in the form of global debt securities, the ultimate beneficial owners can only be indirect holders. We do this by requiring that the global debt security be registered in the name of a financial institution which we select and by requiring that the debt securities included in the global debt security not be transferred to the name of any other direct securityholder unless the special circumstances described below occur. The financial institution that acts as the sole direct securityholder of the global debt securities is called the depositary. Any person wishing to own a debt security must do so indirectly by virtue of an account with a broker, bank or other financial institution that in turn is a participant with the depositary. The applicable prospectus supplement will indicate whether your series of debt securities will be issued only in the form of global debt securities.
An indirect holders rights relating to a global debt security will be governed by the account rules of the investors financial institution and the depositary, as well as general laws relating to securities transfers. We do not recognize this type of investor as a securityholder and instead deal only with the depositary.
An investor should be aware that if debt securities are issued only in the form of global debt securities:
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an investor cannot get debt securities registered in his or her own name, |
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an investor cannot receive physical certificates for his or her interest in the debt securities, |
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an investor will be a street name holder and must look to his or her own bank or broker for payments on the debt securities and protection of his or her legal rights relating to the debt securities (see Street Name and Other Indirect Holders above), |
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an investor may not be able to sell interests in the debt securities to some insurance companies and other institutions that are required by law to own their securities in the form of physical certificates, |
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the depositarys policies will govern payments, transfers, exchange, and other matters relating to an investors interest in the global security. The issuer and the trustee have no responsibility for any aspect of the depositarys actions or for its records of ownership interests in the global security. The issuer and the trustee also do not supervise the depositary in any way, and |
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the depositary will require that interests in a global security be purchased or sold within its system using same-day funds for settlement. |
In a few special situations described below, the global security will terminate and interests in it will be exchanged for physical certificates representing debt securities. After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold debt securities directly or in street name will be up to the individual investor. The investor must consult his or her own bank or broker to find out how to have the investors interests in debt securities transferred to his or her own name, so that the investor will be a direct holder.
The special situations for termination of a global security are:
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when the depositary notifies the issuer that it is unwilling, unable, or no longer qualified to continue as depositary; |
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when the issuer notifies the trustee that it wishes to terminate the global security (subject to the procedures of the depositary); or |
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when an event of default on the debt securities has occurred and has not been cured (see Events of Default below). |
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The prospectus supplement may also list additional situations for terminating a global security that would apply only to the particular series of debt securities covered by the prospectus supplement. When a global debt security terminates, the depositary (and not the applicable issuer or the trustee) is responsible for deciding the names of the institutions that will be the initial direct securityholders. (Section 3.04).
DTC
DTC has provided us the following information: DTC is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, a banking organization within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a clearing corporation within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a clearing agency registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. DTC holds and provides asset servicing for U.S. and non-U.S. equity, corporate and municipal debt issues and money market instruments that DTCs participants, referred to as direct DTC participants, deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the post-trade settlement among direct participants of sales and other securities transactions in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry transfers and pledges between direct participants accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates. Direct DTC participants include both U.S. and non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, which is owned, in part, by a number of direct DTC participants. Indirect access to the DTC system is also available to others, referred to as indirect DTC participants, for example, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and clearing corporations that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct DTC participant, either directly or indirectly. DTC rules applicable to direct and indirect participants are on file with the SEC.
Beneficial interests in a global security will be shown on, and transfers of beneficial interests in the global security will be made only through, records maintained by DTC and its participants, both direct and indirect. When you purchase debt securities through the DTC system, the purchases must be made by or through a direct DTC participant, which will receive credit for the debt securities in its account on DTCs records. When you actually purchase the debt securities, you will become their beneficial owner. Your ownership interest will be recorded only on the direct or indirect DTC participants records. DTC will have no knowledge of your individual ownership of the debt securities. DTCs records will show only the identity of the direct DTC participants and the amount of the debt securities held by or through them. You will not receive a written confirmation of your purchase or sale or any periodic account statement directly from DTC. You should instead receive these confirmations and account statements from the direct or indirect DTC participant through which you purchase the debt securities. The direct or indirect DTC participants are responsible for keeping accurate account of the holdings of their customers. The trustee will wire payments on the debt securities to the DTC nominee that is the registered holder of the debt securities. The trustee and the issuer will treat DTC or its nominee as the owner of each global security for all purposes. Accordingly, the trustee, the issuer and any paying agent will have no direct responsibility or liability to pay amounts due on a global security to you or any other beneficial owners in that global security. Any redemption notices will be sent by the issuer directly to DTC, which will, in turn, inform the direct or indirect DTC participants, which will then contact you as a beneficial holder.
Under the rules, regulations and procedures creating and affecting DTC and its operations, DTC is required to make book-entry transfers between direct DTC participants on whose behalf it acts with respect to the debt securities and is required to receive and transmit distributions of principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities. Direct and indirect DTC participants with which investors have accounts with respect to the debt securities similarly are required to make book-entry transfers and receive and transmit payments on behalf of their respective investors.
As DTC can only act on behalf of direct DTC participants, who in turn act on behalf of indirect DTC participants and certain banks, the ability of a person having a beneficial interest in a security held in DTC to
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transfer or pledge that interest to persons or entities that do not participate in the DTC system, or otherwise take actions in respect of that interest, may be affected by the lack of a physical certificate representing that interest. The laws of some states of the United States require that certain persons take physical delivery of securities in definitive form in order to transfer or perfect a security interest in those securities. Consequently, the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a security held in DTC to those persons may be limited.
DTC has advised us that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a holder of debt securities under the terms and conditions of the debt securities (including, without limitation, the presentation of debt securities for exchange) only at the direction of one or more of the direct DTC participants to whose accounts with DTC interests in the relevant debt securities are credited, and only in respect of the portion of the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities as to which that direct DTC participant or those direct DTC participants has or have given the direction. However, in certain circumstances described below, DTC will exchange the global securities held by it for certificated debt securities, which it will distribute to the direct DTC participants.
It is DTCs current practice, upon receipt of any payment of distributions or liquidation amounts, to proportionately credit direct DTC participants accounts on the payment date based on their holdings of the relevant securities. In addition, it is DTCs current practice to pass through any consenting or voting rights to such direct DTC participants by using an omnibus proxy. Consequently, those direct DTC participants should, in turn, make payments to and solicit votes from you, the ultimate owner of debt securities, based on their customary practices. Payments to you with respect to your beneficial interest in any debt securities will be the responsibility of the direct and indirect DTC participants and not of DTC, the trustee or the issuer.
The information in this section concerning DTC and DTCs book-entry system has been obtained from sources that we believe to be reliable, but we take no responsibility for the accuracy thereof. Furthermore, DTC has no obligation to perform or continue to perform the procedures described below, and any of them may discontinue or change those procedures at any time.
In the remainder of this description you means direct securityholders and not street name or other indirect holders.
Additional Mechanics
Form, Exchange and Transfer
In the absence of any contrary provision described in the prospectus supplement for any specific series of debt securities, the debt securities will be issued:
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in registered form; |
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without interest coupons; and |
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in denominations that are multiples of $1,000. (Section 3.02) |
You may have your debt securities exchanged into more debt securities of smaller denominations, with a minimum of $1,000, or combined into fewer debt securities of larger denominations, as long as the total principal amount is not changed. (Section 3.04) This is called an exchange.
You may exchange or transfer debt securities at the office of the trustee or at an agency to be maintained by the issuer for such purpose. The trustee acts as the issuers agent for registering debt securities in the names of securityholders and transferring debt securities. The issuer may change this appointment to another entity or perform it itself. The entity performing the role of maintaining the list of registered holders is called the security registrar. It will also perform transfers. (Section 3.04)
The rules for exchange described above apply to exchange of debt securities for other debt securities of the same series and kind. If a debt security is convertible, exercisable or exchangeable into or for a different kind of
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security, such as one that we have not issued, or for other property, the rule governing that type of conversion, exercise or exchange will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
You will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or exchange debt securities, but you may be required to pay for any tax or other governmental charge associated with the exchange or transfer. The transfer or exchange will only be made if the issuer and the security registrar are satisfied with your proof of ownership. (Section 3.04)
Payment and Paying Agents
The issuer of a debt security will pay interest to you if you are a securityholder listed in the trustees records at the close of business on a particular day in advance of each due date for interest, even if you no longer own the debt security on the interest due date. That particular day, usually about two weeks in advance of the interest due date, is called the record date and is stated in the prospectus supplement. (Sections 3.02 and 5.01) Securityholders buying and selling debt securities must work out between them how to compensate for the fact that the issuer will pay all the interest for an interest period to the one who is the registered securityholder on the regular record date. The most common manner is to adjust the sales price of the debt securities to pro rate interest fairly between buyer and seller.
The issuer has appointed the trustee as paying agent, and will pay interest, principal and any other money due on the debt securities at the principal office of the trustee in New York City. That office is currently located at 60 Wall Street, 27th Floor, MS: NYC60-2710, New York, New York 10005. The issuer of a debt security may also have additional payment offices or change them, or act as its own paying agent. (Section 5.02)
Single holders of over $5 million in principal amount of debt securities can request that payment of principal and interest be wired to them by contacting the paying agent at the address set forth above at least three (3) business days prior to the payment date. Otherwise, payments may be made by check. (Section 3.02)
Street name and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how they will receive payments.
Remarketing
We may issue debt securities with remarketing features that allow securityholders the option to sell their debt securities back to the issuer. In turn, we may have the option to retire those debt securities or remarket and sell them to new holders.
Redemption
The issuer of a debt security may have the right to redeem or otherwise repurchase debt securities at its option. If the debt securities are redeemable, except as otherwise set forth in the note for such series, we may partially redeem the debt securities only in multiples of $1,000. (Section 4.01) Notice of redemption will be provided at least 30, but no more than 60, days prior to the date of redemption. (Section 4.04) If we do not redeem all debt securities in a series at one time, the trustee will select the debt securities to be redeemed in a manner it determines to be appropriate and fair. (Section 4.03) If a debt security is only partially redeemed, the issuer will issue a new debt security of the same series in an amount equal to the unredeemed portion of the debt security. (Section 4.06)
Repurchase
If the debt securities are subject to a repurchase option, the debt securityholder may have the right to cause the issuer to repurchase the debt securities.
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For global debt securities, unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, participants, on behalf of the owners of beneficial interests in the global debt securities, may exercise the repurchase option by delivering written notice to the paying agent for those debt securities, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, at least 30, but no more than 60, days prior to the date of repurchase (60 Wall Street, 27th Floor, MS: NYC60-2710, New York, New York 10005). The paying agent must receive notice by 5:00 p.m. on the last day for giving notice. Procedures for the owners of beneficial interests in global debt securities to notify their participants of their desire to have their debt security repurchased will be governed by the customary practices of the participant. The written notice to the paying agent must state the principal amount to be repurchased. It is irrevocable, and a duly authorized officer of the participant (with signatures guaranteed) must sign it.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, debt securityholders who hold their securities directly and who desire to exercise their repurchase option must notify the paying agent at least 30, but not more than 45, days prior to the repayment date by providing the paying agent:
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the certificated debt security, with the section entitled Option to Elect Repayment on the reverse of the debt security completed; or |
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a fax or letter (first class, postage prepaid) from a member of a national securities exchange, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or a bank or trust company in the United States which states the following: |
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the name of the holder; |
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the principal amount of the debt security and the amount to be repurchased; |
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the certificate number or the maturity and a description of the terms of the security; |
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a statement that you wish to sell all or a portion of your note; and |
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a guaranty that the debt security with the section entitled Option to Elect Repayment on the reverse of the debt security completed will be received by the paying agent within 5 business days. |
The debt security and form must be received by the paying agent by such 5th business day. Your notice of repurchase is irrevocable.
If you sell a portion of a debt security, the old debt security will be canceled and a new debt security for the remaining principal amount will be issued to you.
Interest Rate
The following terms will apply to any issue of debt securities unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. The interest rate on the debt securities will either be fixed or floating as indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. The interest paid will include interest accrued to, but excluding, the date of maturity, redemption or repurchase. Interest is generally payable to the person in whose name the debt security is registered at the close of business on the record date applicable to each interest payment date. Interest payable at maturity, redemption or repurchase, however, will be payable to the person to whom principal is payable.
The interest payment on any debt security originally issued between a record date and interest payment date or on an interest payment date will be made on the interest payment date after the next record date. Interest payments, other than those payable at maturity, redemption or repurchase, will be paid, at our option, by check or wire transfer.
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Events of Default
An Event of Default with respect to a series of debt securities means any of the following:
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the issuer fails to pay the principal of (or premium, if any, on) any debt security of that series when due and payable; |
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the issuer fails to pay any interest on any debt security of that series for 30 days after such is due; |
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the issuer fails to observe or perform any other covenants or agreements set forth in the debt securities of that series, or in the indentures in regard to such debt securities, continuously for 60 days after notice (which must be sent either by the Trustee or holders of at least 33% of the principal amount of the affected series); |
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the issuer files for bankruptcy or certain other events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization occur; or |
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any other event of default described in the prospectus supplement. |
An Event of Default for a particular series of debt securities does not necessarily mean that an Event of Default has occurred for any other series of debt securities issued under the indentures. If an Event of Default has occurred and has not been cured, the trustee or the holders of not less than 33% of the principal amount of the debt securities of the affected series may declare the entire principal of the debt securities of such series due and payable immediately. Subject to certain conditions, if we deposit with the trustee enough money to remedy the default and there is no default continuing, this acceleration of payment may be rescinded by the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the debt securities of the series. (Section 7.01)
The trustee must, within 90 days after a default occurs, notify the holders of the debt securities of the series of the default if we have not remedied it (default is defined to include the events specified above without the grace periods or notice). The trustee may withhold notice to the holders of such debt securities of any default (except in the payment of principal or interest) if it in good faith considers such withholding in the interest of the holders. (Section 7.08) The issuer is required to file an annual certificate with the trustee, signed by an officer, stating any default by it under any provisions of the indentures. (Section 5.06)
Prior to any declaration of acceleration of maturity, the holders holding a majority of the principal amount of the debt securities of the particular series affected, on behalf of the holders of all debt securities of that series, may waive any past default or Event of Default. We cannot, however, obtain a waiver of a payment default. (Section 7.07)
Except in cases of default where the trustee has some special duties, the trustee is not required to take any action under the indentures at the request of any holders unless such holders offer the trustee reasonable indemnity. (Section 8.02(d)) Subject to the provisions for indemnification and certain other limitations, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the debt securities of any series may direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceedings for any remedy available to the trustee with respect to such debt securities. (Section 7.07)
In order to bypass the trustee and take steps to enforce your rights or protect your interests relating to the debt securities, the following must occur:
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you must give the trustee written notice that an Event of Default has occurred and remains uncured; |
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the holders of 25% of the principal amount of all outstanding debt securities of the relevant series must make a written request that the trustee take action because of the default, and must offer reasonable indemnity to the trustee against the cost and other liabilities of taking that action; and |
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the trustee must have not taken action for 60 days after receipt of the above notice and offer of indemnity. |
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However, you are entitled at any time to bring a lawsuit for the payment of money due on your debt security on or after its due date. (Section 7.04)
Street name and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how to give notice or direction to, or make a request of, the trustee and to make or cancel a declaration of acceleration.
Supplemental Indentures
There are three types of changes we can make to the indentures and the debt securities.
Changes Requiring Each Holders Approval. The following changes require the approval of each holder of debt securities:
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extend the fixed maturity of any debt security; |
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reduce the interest rate (or change the method used to establish the interest rate) or extend the time of payment of interest; |
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reduce any premium payable upon redemption; |
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reduce the principal amount; |
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reduce the amount of principal payable upon acceleration of the maturity of a discounted debt security following default; |
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change the currency of payment on a debt security; or |
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reduce the percentage of securityholders whose consent is required to modify or amend the indentures (Section 11.02) |
Changes Not Requiring Holder Approval. These types of changes are limited to those changes specified in the indentures, including those which are of an administrative nature or are changes that would not adversely affect holders of the debt securities. (Section 11.01)
Changes Requiring 66-2/3% of all Holders to Approve. A vote in favor by securityholders owning not less than 66-2/3% of the principal amount of the debt securities of the particular series affected is required for any other matter listed in the indentures or in a particular security. (Section 11.02)
Street name and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how approval may be granted or denied if we seek to change the indentures or the debt securities or request a waiver.
Consolidation, Merger or Sale
The issuer of a debt security may not merge or consolidate with any corporation or sell substantially all of its assets as an entirety unless:
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it is the continuing corporation or the successor corporation expressly assumes the payment of principal, and premium, if any, and interest on the debt securities and the performance and observance of all the covenants and conditions of the indentures binding on it (Section 12.01); and |
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it, or the successor corporation, is not immediately after the merger, consolidation or sale in default in the performance of a covenant or condition in the indentures binding on it. (Section 12.02) |
Discharge
The indentures provide that the issuer of a debt security can discharge and satisfy all of its obligations under any series of debt securities that are payable within one year, or under any series of debt securities that it delivers
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to the trustee (and that have not already been cancelled), by depositing with the trustee or any paying agent, enough funds to pay the principal and interest due or to become due on the debt securities until their maturity date. (Section 13.01)
Subordination
Constellation Energys payment obligation under each and all securities to be issued under the Subordinated Indenture will rank junior and be subordinated in right of payment and upon liquidation to all of Constellation Energys Senior Indebtedness. However, unless provided otherwise in an applicable prospectus supplement, all securities to be issued under the Subordinated Indenture will rank equally in right of payment with any Pari Passu Securities. No payment of the principal (including redemption and sinking fund payments) of, or interest, or premium, if any, on any securities to be issued under the Subordinated Indenture may be made by Constellation Energy until all holders of Senior Indebtedness have been paid in full (or provision has been made for such payment), if any of the following occurs:
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certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of Constellation Energy; |
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any Senior Indebtedness of Constellation Energy is not paid when due (after the expiration of any applicable grace period) and that default continues without waiver; or |
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any other default has occurred and continues without waiver (after the expiration of any applicable grace period) pursuant to which the holders of Senior Indebtedness of Constellation Energy are permitted to accelerate the maturity of such Senior Indebtedness. (Section 18.02) |
Upon any distribution of assets of Constellation Energy to creditors in connection with any insolvency, bankruptcy or similar proceeding, all principal of, and premium, if any, and interest due or to become due on all Senior Indebtedness of Constellation Energy must be paid in full before the holders of any securities issued under the Subordinated Indenture are entitled to receive or retain any payment from such distribution.
Senior Indebtedness, when used with respect to Constellation Energy, means all of Constellation Energys obligations whether presently existing or from time to time hereafter incurred, created, assumed or existing, to pay principal, premium, interest, penalties, fees and any other payment in respect of any of the following:
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obligations for borrowed money, including without limitation, such obligations as are evidenced by credit agreements, notes, debentures, bonds or other securities or instruments; |
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capitalized lease obligations; |
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all obligations of the types referred to in the two preceding bullet points of others which Constellation Energy, has assumed, endorsed, guaranteed, contingently agreed to purchase or provide funds for the payment of, or otherwise becomes liable for, under any agreement; or |
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all renewals, extensions or refundings of obligations of the kinds described in any of the preceding categories. |
Any such obligation, indebtedness, renewal, extension or refunding, however, will not be Senior Indebtedness if the instrument creating or evidencing it or the assumption or guarantee of it provides that it is not superior in right of payment to or is equal in right of payment with any securities issued under the Subordinated Indenture. Furthermore, trade accounts payable and accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business will not be Senior Indebtedness. Senior Indebtedness will be entitled to the benefits of the subordination provisions in the Subordinated Indenture irrespective of the amendment, modification or waiver of any term of the Senior Indebtedness.
Pari Passu Securities means:
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indebtedness and other securities that, among other things, by its terms ranks equally with any securities issued under the Subordinated Indenture in right of payment and upon liquidation; and |
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guarantees of indebtedness or other securities described in the preceding bullet point. |
Pari Passu Securities also includes Constellation Energys trade accounts payable and accrued liabilities arising in the ordinary course of business.
The Subordinated Indenture does not place any limit on the amount of Senior Indebtedness that Constellation Energy may issue, guarantee or otherwise incur or the amount of liabilities, including debt, or preferred stock, that Constellation Energys subsidiaries may issue, guarantee or otherwise incur. Constellation Energy expects from time to time to incur additional indebtedness and other liabilities that will be senior to any securities issued under the Subordinated Indenture.
Conversion
General
Constellation Energy may issue debt securities that may be converted into or exercised or exchanged for its common stock, preferred stock or any of its other securities. Debt securities will not be convertible unless the applicable prospectus supplement expressly so states. These securities are referred to as convertible debt securities. The discussion that follows contemplates that the debt securities Constellation Energy may issue will be convertible into common stock. The applicable prospectus supplement will discuss the terms of any debt securities that may be convertible into any other type of security.
The applicable prospectus supplement for any series of convertible debt securities will set forth the terms of the convertible debt securities, including the conversion rate at which the holder of any convertible debt security of that series may initially convert that security into common stock. The conversion rate for any series of outstanding convertible debt securities will be expressed as a number of shares per $1,000 principal amount of convertible debt securities, and will be adjusted in certain circumstances as described in Adjustment of Conversion Rate below. The right to convert a convertible debt security called for redemption or delivered for repurchase will terminate at the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the redemption date for that security, unless Constellation Energy defaults in making the payment due upon redemption. (Section 16.01)
Exercise of Conversion Privilege
Securityholders may convert all or part of any convertible debt security by delivering the convertible debt security at an office or agency maintained for that purpose. Unless the applicable prospectus supplement for a series of convertible debt securities states otherwise, that office will be the corporate trust office of the trustee at 60 Wall Street, 27th Floor, MS: NYC60-2710, New York, New York 10005, and the trustee will serve as conversion agent. The convertible debt security surrendered for conversion must be accompanied by a duly signed and completed conversion notice, a copy of which may be obtained from the trustee. The conversion date will be the date on which the convertible debt security and the duly signed and completed conversion notice are so delivered. (Section 16.02)
As promptly as practicable on or after the conversion date, Constellation Energy will issue and deliver to the trustee a certificate or certificates for the number of full shares of its common stock issuable upon conversion, together with payment in lieu of any fraction of a share. The certificates will then be sent by the trustee to the conversion agent for delivery to the holder of the convertible debt security being converted. The shares of Constellation Energys common stock issuable upon conversion of the convertible debt securities will be fully paid and nonassessable and will rank equally with the other shares of Constellation Energys common stock. (Sections 16.02 and 16.03)
Street name and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how to exercise their conversion privilege.
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Interest and Other Payments in connection with Convertible Debt Securities
If a securityholder surrenders a convertible debt security for conversion on a date that is not an interest payment date, that securityholder will not be entitled to receive any interest for the period from the preceding interest payment date to the conversion date, except as described below. However, a securityholder of a convertible debt security on a regular record date, including a convertible debt security surrendered for conversion after the regular record date, will receive the interest payable on such convertible debt security on the next interest payment date. Thus to correct for this overpayment of interest, any convertible debt security surrendered for conversion during the period from the close of business on a regular record date to the opening of business on the next interest payment date must be accompanied by payment of an amount equal to the interest payable on such interest payment date on the principal amount of convertible debt securities being surrendered for conversion. However, a securityholder will not be required to make that payment if he or she is converting a convertible debt security, or a portion of a convertible debt security, that Constellation Energy has called for redemption if such securityholders conversion right would terminate because of the redemption between the regular record date and the close of business on the next interest payment date. (Section 16.02)
No other payment or adjustment for interest, or for any dividends in respect of Constellation Energys common stock, will be made upon conversion. Holders of Constellation Energys common stock issued upon conversion will not be entitled to receive any dividends payable to holders of Constellation Energys common stock as of any record time or date before the close of business on the conversion date. Constellation Energy will not issue fractional shares upon conversion. Instead, Constellation Energy will pay cash in lieu of fractional shares based on the market price of its common stock at the close of business on the conversion date. (Section 16.03)
If a securityholder delivers a convertible debt security for conversion, the securityholder will not be required to pay any taxes or duties in respect of the issue or delivery of common stock on conversion. However, the securityholder will be required to pay any tax or duty that may be payable in respect of any transfer involved in the issue or delivery of the common stock in a name other than that of the holder of the convertible debt security. Constellation Energy will not issue or deliver certificates representing shares of common stock unless the person requesting the issuance or delivery has paid to Constellation Energy the amount of any such tax or duty or has established to Constellation Energys satisfaction that such tax or duty has been paid. (Section 16.08)
Street name and other indirect holders should consult their banks or brokers for information on how they will receive payments.
Adjustment of Conversion Rate
The conversion rate will be subject to adjustment for, among other things:
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dividends and other distributions payable in Constellation Energy common stock on shares of Constellation Energys capital stock; |
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the issuance to all holders of Constellation Energys common stock of rights, options or warrants entitling them to subscribe for or purchase Constellation Energys common stock at less than the then current market price of such common stock as of the record date for stockholders entitled to receive such rights, options or warrants; |
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subdivisions, combinations and reclassifications of Constellation Energys common stock; |
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distributions to all holders of Constellation Energys common stock of evidences of Constellation Energys indebtedness, shares of capital stock, cash or assets, including securities, but excluding: |
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those dividends, rights, options, warrants and distributions referred to above; |
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dividends and distributions paid exclusively in cash, subject to certain exceptions; and |
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distributions upon mergers or consolidations discussed below; |
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distributions consisting exclusively of cash, excluding cash distributed upon a merger or consolidation discussed below, to all holders of Constellation Energys common stock in an aggregate amount that, combined together with: |
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other all-cash distributions made within the preceding 365-day period in respect of which no adjustment has been made; and |
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any cash and the fair market value of other consideration payable in connection with any tender offer by Constellation Energy or any of its subsidiaries for Constellation Energys common stock concluded within the preceding 365-day period in respect of which no adjustment has been made, |
exceeds 10% of Constellation Energys market capitalization on the record date for the distribution, being the product of the current market price per share of Constellation Energys common stock on the record date for such distribution and the number of shares of common stock then outstanding; and
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the completion of a tender offer made by Constellation Energy or any of its subsidiaries for Constellation Energys common stock which involves an aggregate consideration that, together with: |
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any cash and the fair market value of other consideration payable in a tender offer by Constellation Energy or any of its subsidiaries for Constellation Energys common stock expiring within the 365-day period preceding the expiration of that tender offer in respect of which no adjustments have been made; and |
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the aggregate amount of any cash distributions to all holders of Constellation Energys common stock within the 365-day period preceding the expiration of that tender offer in respect of which no adjustments have been made, |
exceeds 10% of Constellation Energys market capitalization on the expiration of such tender offer.
Constellation Energy reserves the right to affect such increases in the conversion rate in addition to those required by the foregoing provisions as Constellation Energy considers to be advisable in order to avoid or diminish any income tax to holders of Constellation Energys common stock resulting from certain dividends, distributions or issuances of rights or warrants. Constellation Energy will not be required to make any adjustment to the conversion rate until the cumulative adjustments amount to 1% or more of the conversion rate. (Section 16.04)
To the extent permitted by law, Constellation Energy may increase the conversion rate for any period of at least 20 days if the increase is irrevocable during such period and its board of directors determines that the increase would be in its best interest. The board of directors determination in this regard will be conclusive. Constellation Energy will give holders of convertible debt securities at least 15 days notice of such an increase in the conversion rate. (Section 16.04)
Constellation Energy will compute all adjustments to the conversion rate and will give notice by mail to holders of the registered convertible debt securities of any adjustments. (Section 16.05)
Provision in case of Consolidation, Merger or Sale of Assets
If Constellation Energy consolidates or merges with or into another entity or another entity is merged into Constellation Energy, or in case of any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of Constellation Energys assets, each convertible debt security then outstanding will become convertible only into the kind and amount of securities, cash and other property receivable upon such consolidation, merger, sale or transfer by a holder of the number of shares of common stock into which the convertible debt securities were convertible immediately prior to the consolidation, merger, sale or transfer. This calculation will be made on the assumption that the holder of common stock failed to exercise any rights of election that the holder may have to select a particular type of
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consideration. This paragraph will not apply to a merger or sale of all or substantially all of Constellation Energys assets that does not result in any reclassification, conversion, exchange or cancellation of the common stock. (Section 16.11)
Our Relationship with the Trustee
The trustee under the indentures, and/or one or more of its affiliates, may be lenders under our, or our subsidiaries and affiliates, credit agreements and may provide other commercial banking, investment banking and other services to us and/or our subsidiaries and affiliates. The trustee will be permitted to engage in other transactions with us and/or our subsidiaries and affiliates. However, if the trustee acquires any conflicting interest, as defined in the Trust Indenture Act, it must eliminate the conflict or resign.
The trustee will perform only those duties that are specifically set forth in the indentures, unless an event of default occurs and is continuing. In case of default, the trustee will exercise the same degree of care and skill as a prudent individual would exercise in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE SENIOR SECURED BONDS
General
The following description sets forth the general terms and provisions of the Senior Secured Bonds that BGE may offer by this prospectus. BGE will describe the particular terms of the Senior Secured Bonds, and provisions that vary from those described below, in one or more prospectus supplements.
BGE may issue the Senior Secured Bonds from time to time in the future, in one or more series, under an indenture and security agreement, which is a contract between BGE and the trustee, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (the bond trustee), dated as of July 9, 2009, as it may be supplemented from time to time, which is referred to herein as the Senior Secured Indenture. A form of the Senior Secured Indenture is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement that contains this prospectus. All securities that may be issued under the Senior Secured Indenture, including the Senior Secured Bonds offered by this prospectus, are referred to herein as secured bonds.
This section of the prospectus contains a summary of all material provisions of the Senior Secured Indenture. The Senior Secured Indenture contains the full legal text of the matters described in this section. Because this section is a summary, it does not describe every aspect of the Senior Secured Bonds or the Senior Secured Indenture. This summary is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to all the provisions of the Senior Secured Indenture, including the definitions of some of the terms used in the Senior Secured Indenture. This section of the prospectus also includes references in parentheses to some of the sections of the Senior Secured Indenture. Whenever particular sections or defined terms of the Senior Secured Indenture are referred to in this prospectus or in a prospectus supplement, these sections or defined terms are incorporated by reference into this prospectus or into the prospectus supplement. This summary is also subject to and qualified by reference to the description of the particular terms of each series of Senior Secured Bonds described in the applicable prospectus supplement or supplements. The particular terms of each series of Senior Secured Bonds will be established and set forth in an officers certificate under the Senior Secured Indenture, a form of which is filed with the registration statement that contains this prospectus. The Senior Secured Indenture has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, and you should also refer to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 for provisions that apply to the Senior Secured Bonds.
The Senior Secured Indenture permits BGE to issue secured bonds from time to time in an unlimited aggregate amount subject to the limitations described under Issuance of Secured Bonds. All secured bonds of any one series need not be issued at the same time, and a series may be reopened for issuances of additional secured bonds of that series. This means that BGE may from time to time, without the consent of the existing holders of the secured bonds of any series, create and issue additional secured bonds of a series having the same terms and conditions as the previously issued secured bonds of that series in all respects, except for issue date, issue price and, if applicable, the initial interest payment on those additional secured bonds. Additional secured bonds issued in this manner will be consolidated with, and will form a single series with, the previously issued secured bonds of that series. For more information, see the discussion below under Issuance of Secured Bonds.
A prospectus supplement and any supplemental indenture, board resolution and officers certificate relating to any series of Senior Secured Bonds being offered by this prospectus will include specific terms relating to that offering. These terms will include some or all of the following terms that apply to that series:
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the title of the Senior Secured Bonds; |
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any limit upon the total principal amount of the Senior Secured Bonds; |
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the dates, or the method to determine the dates, on which the principal of the Senior Secured Bonds will be payable and how it will be paid; |
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the interest rate or rates which the Senior Secured Bonds will bear, or how the rate or rates will be determined, the interest payment dates for the Senior Secured Bonds and the regular record dates for interest payments; |
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any right to extend the interest payments for, or the maturity of, the Senior Secured Bonds and the duration of any such extension; |
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the percentage, if less than 100%, of the principal amount of the Senior Secured Bonds that will be payable if the maturity of the Senior Secured Bonds is accelerated; |
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any date or dates on which the Senior Secured Bonds may be redeemed at BGEs option and the terms, conditions and any restrictions on those redemptions; |
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any sinking fund or other provisions that would obligate BGE to repurchase or otherwise redeem the Senior Secured Bonds; |
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any additions or exceptions to the events of default under the Senior Secured Indenture or additions or exceptions to BGEs covenants under the Senior Secured Indenture for the benefit of the holders of Senior Secured Bonds; |
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any denominations other than multiples of $1,000 in which the Senior Secured Bonds will be issued; |
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if payments on the Senior Secured Bonds may be made in a currency or currencies other than United States dollars; and, if so, the means through which the equivalent principal amount of any payment in United States dollars is to be determined for any purpose; |
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any terms pursuant to which the Senior Secured Bonds may be converted into or exchanged for other securities of BGEs or of another entity; |
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any additional collateral security for the Senior Secured Bonds; and |
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any other terms of the Senior Secured Bonds not inconsistent with the terms of the Senior Secured Indenture. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 301) |
BGE may sell Senior Secured Bonds at a discount below their principal amount. United States Federal income tax considerations applicable to Senior Secured Bonds sold at an original issue discount will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement if BGE sells Senior Secured Bonds at an original issue discount. In addition, important United States Federal income tax or other tax considerations applicable to any Senior Secured Bonds denominated or payable in a currency or currency unit other than United States dollars will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement if BGE sells Senior Secured Bonds denominated or payable in a currency or currency unit other than United States dollars.
Ownership of the Senior Secured Bonds
Direct Securityholders
Only registered holders of secured bonds will have rights under the Senior Secured Indenture. As noted below, BGE does not have obligations to you if you hold in street name or other indirect means, either because you choose to hold Senior Secured Bonds in that manner or because the Senior Secured Bonds are issued in the form of global secured bonds as described below. For example, once BGE makes payment to the registered securityholder, BGE has no further responsibility for the payment even if that securityholder is legally required to pass the payment along to you as a street name customer but does not do so.
Street Name and Other Indirect Holders
Investors who hold Senior Secured Bonds in accounts at banks or brokers will generally not be recognized by BGE as legal securityholders. This is called holding in street name. Instead, BGE recognizes only the bank or broker, or the financial institution the bank or broker uses to hold its Senior Secured Bonds. These
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intermediary banks, brokers and other financial institutions pass along principal, interest and other payments on the Senior Secured Bonds to their customers. If you hold Senior Secured Bonds in street name, you should check with your own institution to find out:
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how it handles securities payments and notices, |
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whether it imposes fees or charges, |
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how it would handle voting if ever required, |
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whether and how you can instruct it to send you Senior Secured Bonds registered in your own name so you can be a direct securityholder as described below to the extent permitted, and |
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how it would pursue rights under the Senior Secured Bonds if there were a default or other event triggering the need for securityholders to act to protect their interests. |
Global Securities
A global security is a special type of indirectly held security. This means that BGE will not issue certificates to each beneficial owner. If BGE chooses to issue Senior Secured Bonds in the form of global secured bonds, the ultimate beneficial owners can only be indirect holders. BGE does this by requiring that the global secured bond be registered in the name of a financial institution which BGE selects and by requiring that the Senior Secured Bonds included in the global secured bond not be transferred to the name of any other direct securityholder unless the special circumstances described below occur. The financial institution that acts as the sole direct securityholder of the global secured bonds is called the depositary. Any person wishing to own a Senior Secured Bond must do so indirectly by virtue of an account with a broker, bank or other financial institution that in turn is a participant with the depositary. The applicable prospectus supplement and officers certificate will indicate whether your series of Senior Secured Bonds will be issued only in the form of global secured bonds.
An indirect holders rights relating to a global secured bond will be governed by the account rules of the investors financial institution and the depositary, as well as general laws relating to securities transfers. BGE does not recognize this type of investor as a securityholder and instead deals only with the depositary.
An investor should be aware that if Senior Secured Bonds are issued only in the form of global secured bonds:
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an investor cannot get Senior Secured Bonds registered in his or her own name, |
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an investor cannot receive physical certificates for his or her interest in the Senior Secured Bonds, |
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an investor will be a street name holder and must look to his or her own bank or broker for payments on the Senior Secured Bonds and protection of his or her legal rights relating to the Senior Secured Bonds (see Street Name and Other Indirect Holders above), |
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an investor may not be able to sell interests in the Senior Secured Bonds to some insurance companies and other institutions that are required by law to own their securities in the form of physical certificates, |
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the depositarys policies will govern payments, transfers, exchange, and other matters relating to an investors interest in the global secured bond. BGE and the bond trustee have no responsibility for any aspect of the depositarys actions or for its records of ownership interests in the global secured bond. BGE and the bond trustee also do not supervise the depositary in any way, and |
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the depositary will require that interests in a global secured bond be purchased or sold within its system using same-day funds for settlement. |
In a few special situations described below, the global secured bond will terminate and interests in it will be exchanged for physical certificates representing Senior Secured Bonds. After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold Senior Secured Bonds directly or in street name will be up to the individual investor. The
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investor must consult his or her own bank or broker to find out how to have the investors interests in Senior Secured Bonds transferred to his or her own name, so that the investor will be a direct holder.
The special situations for termination of a global secured bond are:
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when the depositary notifies BGE that it is unwilling, unable, or no longer qualified to continue as depositary; |
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when BGE notifies the trustee that it wishes to terminate the global secured bond (subject to the procedures of the depositary); or |
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when an event of default on the Senior Secured Bonds has occurred and has not been cured (see Events of Default below). |
The prospectus supplement and officers certificate may also list additional situations for terminating a global secured bond that would apply only to the particular series of Senior Secured Bonds covered by such prospectus supplement and officers certificate. When a global secured bond terminates, the depositary (and not BGE or the bond trustee) is responsible for deciding the names of the institutions that will be the initial direct securityholders.
DTC
DTC has provided BGE the following information: DTC is a limited-purpose trust company organized under the laws of the State of New York, a banking organization within the meaning of the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a clearing corporation within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code and a clearing agency registered pursuant to the provisions of Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. DTC holds and provides asset servicing for U.S. and non-U.S. equity, corporate and municipal debt issues and money market instruments that DTCs participants, referred to as direct DTC participants, deposit with DTC. DTC also facilitates the post-trade settlement among direct participants of sales and other securities transactions in deposited securities through electronic computerized book-entry transfers and pledges between direct participants accounts, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of certificates. Direct DTC participants include both U.S. and non-U.S. securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations. DTC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation, which is owned, in part, by a number of direct DTC participants. Indirect access to the DTC system is also available to others, referred to as indirect DTC participants, for example, securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies and clearing corporations that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a direct DTC participant, either directly or indirectly. DTC rules applicable to direct and indirect participants are on file with the SEC.
Beneficial interests in a global secured bond will be shown on, and transfers of beneficial interests in the global secured bond will be made only through, records maintained by DTC and its participants, both direct and indirect. When you purchase Senior Secured Bonds through the DTC system, the purchases must be made by or through a direct DTC participant, which will receive credit for the Senior Secured Bonds in its account on DTCs records. When you actually purchase the Senior Secured Bonds, you will become their beneficial owner. Your ownership interest will be recorded only on the direct or indirect DTC participants records. DTC will have no knowledge of your individual ownership of the Senior Secured Bonds. DTCs records will show only the identity of the direct DTC participants and the amount of the Senior Secured Bonds held by or through them. You will not receive a written confirmation of your purchase or sale or any periodic account statement directly from DTC. You should instead receive these confirmations and account statements from the direct or indirect DTC participant through which you purchase the Senior Secured Bonds. The direct or indirect DTC participants are responsible for keeping accurate account of the holdings of their customers. The bond trustee will wire payments on the Senior Secured Bonds to the DTC nominee that is the registered holder of the Senior Secured Bonds. The bond trustee and BGE will treat DTC or its nominee as the owner of each global secured bond for all purposes. Accordingly, the bond trustee, any paying agent and BGE will have no direct responsibility or liability to pay
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amounts due on a global secured bond to you or any other beneficial owners in that global secured bond. Any redemption notices will be sent by BGE directly to DTC, which will, in turn, inform the direct or indirect DTC participants, which will then contact you as a beneficial holder.
Under the rules, regulations and procedures creating and affecting DTC and its operations, DTC is required to make book-entry transfers between direct DTC participants on whose behalf it acts with respect to the Senior Secured Bonds and is required to receive and transmit distributions of principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Senior Secured Bonds. Direct and indirect DTC participants with which investors have accounts with respect to the Senior Secured Bonds similarly are required to make book-entry transfers and receive and transmit payments on behalf of their respective investors.
As DTC can only act on behalf of direct DTC participants, who in turn act on behalf of indirect DTC participants and certain banks, the ability of a person having a beneficial interest in a security held in DTC to transfer or pledge that interest to persons or entities that do not participate in the DTC system, or otherwise take actions in respect of that interest, may be affected by the lack of a physical certificate representing that interest. The laws of some states of the United States require that certain persons take physical delivery of securities in definitive form in order to transfer or perfect a security interest in those securities. Consequently, the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a security held in DTC to those persons may be limited.
DTC has advised BGE that it will take any action permitted to be taken by a holder of Senior Secured Bonds under the terms and conditions of the Senior Secured Bonds (including, without limitation, the presentation of Senior Secured Bonds for exchange) only at the direction of one or more of the direct DTC participants to whose accounts with DTC interests in the relevant Senior Secured Bonds are credited, and only in respect of the portion of the aggregate principal amount of the Senior Secured Bonds as to which that direct DTC participant or those direct DTC participants has or have given the direction. However, in certain circumstances described below, DTC will exchange the global secured bonds held by it for certificated Senior Secured Bonds, which it will distribute to the direct DTC participants.
It is DTCs current practice, upon receipt of any payment of distributions or liquidation amounts, to proportionately credit direct DTC participants accounts on the payment date based on their holdings of the relevant securities. In addition, it is DTCs current practice to pass through any consenting or voting rights to such direct DTC participants by using an omnibus proxy. Consequently, those direct DTC participants should, in turn, make payments to and solicit votes from you, the ultimate owner of Senior Secured Bonds, based on their customary practices. Payments to you with respect to your beneficial interest in any Senior Secured Bonds will be the responsibility of the direct and indirect DTC participants and not of DTC, the bond trustee or BGE.
The information in this section concerning DTC and DTCs book-entry system has been obtained from sources that BGE believes to be reliable, but BGE takes no responsibility for the accuracy thereof. Furthermore, DTC has no obligation to perform or continue to perform the procedures described below, and any of them may discontinue or change those procedures at any time.
Redemption
BGE will set forth any terms for the redemption of Senior Secured Bonds of any series in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless BGE indicates differently in a prospectus supplement, and except with respect to Senior Secured Bonds redeemable at the option of the holder of such Senior Secured Bonds, Senior Secured Bonds will be redeemable upon notice to holders by mail at least 30 days and not more than 60 days prior to the redemption date. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 504) Unless the Senior Secured Bonds are held in book-entry only form through the facilities of DTC, in which case DTCs procedures for selection shall apply (see Ownership of the Senior Secured Bonds), if less than all of the Senior Secured Bonds of any series or any tranche thereof are to be redeemed, the bond trustee will select the Senior Secured Bonds to be redeemed. In the absence of any provision for selection, the bond trustee will choose a method of random selection as it may deem fair and appropriate. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 503)
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Unless BGE defaults in the payment of the redemption price and accrued interest, if any, in the case of an unconditional notice of redemption, Senior Secured Bonds will cease to bear interest on the redemption date. BGE will pay the redemption price and any accrued interest to the redemption date upon surrender of any Senior Secured Bond for redemption. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 505) If only part of a Senior Secured Bond is redeemed, the bond trustee will deliver to the holder of the Senior Secured Bond a new Senior Secured Bond of the same series for the remaining portion without charge. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 506)
BGE may make any redemption at its option conditional upon the receipt by the paying agent, on or prior to the date fixed for redemption, of money sufficient to pay the redemption price and accrued interest, if any. If the paying agent has not received the money by the date fixed for redemption, BGE will not be required to redeem the Senior Secured Bonds. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 504)
Payment and Paying Agents
Except as may be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, interest, if any, on each Senior Secured Bond payable on any interest payment date will be paid to the person in whose name that Senior Secured Bond is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for that interest payment date. However, interest payable at maturity will be paid to the person to whom the principal is paid. If there has been a default in the payment of interest on any Senior Secured Bond, the defaulted interest may be paid to the holder of that Senior Secured Bond as of the close of business on a date between 10 and 15 days before the date proposed by BGE for payment of the defaulted interest or in any other manner permitted by any securities exchange on which that Senior Secured Bond may be listed, if the bond trustee finds it workable. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 307)
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Senior Secured Bonds at maturity will be payable upon presentation of the Senior Secured Bonds at the corporate trust office of the bond trustee, in The City of New York, as BGEs paying agent. However, BGE may choose to make payment of interest by check mailed to the address of the persons entitled to payment as they may appear or have appeared in the security register for the Senior Secured Bonds. BGE may change the place of payment on the Senior Secured Bonds, appoint one or more additional paying agents (including BGE) and remove any paying agent, all at its discretion. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 702)
As long as the Senior Secured Bonds are registered in the name of DTC, or its nominee, as described under Ownership of the Senior Secured Bonds, payments of principal, premium, if any, and interest will be made to DTC for subsequent disbursement to beneficial owners of the Senior Secured Bonds.
Registration and Transfer
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, and subject to the restrictions related to the issuance of Senior Secured Bonds through DTCs book-entry system, as described under Ownership of the Senior Secured Bonds, the transfer of Senior Secured Bonds may be registered, and Senior Secured Bonds may be exchanged for other Senior Secured Bonds of the same series or tranche, of authorized denominations and with the same terms and principal amount, at the offices of the bond trustee in New York, New York. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 305) BGE may, upon prompt written notice to the bond trustee and the holders of the Senior Secured Bonds, designate one or more additional places, or change the place or places previously designated, for registration of transfer and exchange of the Senior Secured Bonds. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 702) No service charge will be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of the Senior Secured Bonds. However, BGE may require payment to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with a registration of transfer or exchange. BGE will not be required to execute or to provide for the registration, transfer or exchange of any Senior Secured Bond:
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during the 15 days before an interest payment date; |
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during the 15 days before giving any notice of redemption; or |
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selected for redemption except the unredeemed portion of any Senior Secured Bond being redeemed in part. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 305) |
Security; Lien of the Senior Secured Indenture
The Senior Secured Indenture secures the secured bonds. BGE can issue more secured bonds in the future and those secured bonds will also be secured by the Senior Secured Indenture. The Senior Secured Indenture constitutes a first priority lien on substantially all of BGEs electric utility distribution equipment and fixtures, subject to Permitted Liens. The Senior Secured Indenture creates a lien on all of BGEs property (other than Excepted Property, as defined below) included in BGEs electric distribution property account (within the meaning of the Uniform System of Accounts of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (or any successor provisions thereto)), and all other property that is properly accounted for as equipment and fixtures (other than Excepted Property) used or useful in BGEs electric utility distribution business, owned by BGE on July 9, 2009, (hereinafter referred to as the Execution Date of the Senior Secured Indenture) or acquired by BGE after the Execution Date. In addition, the Senior Secured Indenture creates a lien on all of BGEs franchises, permits and licenses that are transferable and necessary for the operation of such equipment and fixtures. (Senior Secured Indenture, Granting Clauses) The property that is subject to the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture is sometimes referred to as the Collateral. At the date of this prospectus, the Collateral is located in the state of Maryland, substantially all of the Collateral is included within the category of property, plant and equipment on BGEs balance sheet, and the Collateral had a net book value as of May 31, 2009 of approximately $2.2 billion.
Easement and Right-of-Way Grant
The Senior Secured Indenture does not grant a lien on BGEs real property interests, including land, land rights (including easements and rights-of-way), structures and improvements (within the meaning of the Uniform System of Accounts of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any successor provisions thereto). BGE has granted to the bond trustee, for the benefit of the holders of the outstanding secured bonds, a transferable non-exclusive easement and right-of-way (referred to herein as the Easement) to place, replace, maintain, access, remove, sell or otherwise dispose of any of the Collateral on the real property interests owned or leased by BGE, now or in the future, including transferable easements and rights-of-way, to the extent necessary in the reasonable discretion of the bond trustee for the operation of the Collateral or for the exercise or enforcement of the bond trustees interest in the Collateral.
Subject to the terms of any underlying lease or underlying easement, the Easement will be enforceable against any successor to BGEs interest in any of the real property interests subject to the Easement and shall remain in full force and effect as to such real property interests notwithstanding any transfer of, or grant of a security interest in, such real property interests. In addition, subject to the terms of any underlying lease or underlying easement, the bond trustee may transfer the Easement, on a non-exclusive basis, in whole or in part, to purchasers of the Collateral in a bankruptcy or foreclosure.
The Easement will be recorded in the City of Baltimore and in the Maryland counties in which BGE owns or leases real property and is subject to all liens, exceptions, defects, qualifications and other matters of record at the time of recording of the Easement. Moreover, the grant of the Easement over all real property leased by BGE and easements and rights-of-way granted to BGE are subject to applicable law and will only be effective to the extent permitted by the underlying lease or underlying easement and only to the extent of BGEs rights and obligations under such underlying lease or underlying easement. In the Senior Secured Indenture, BGE has agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that any underlying lease or underlying easement entered into by BGE after the date of the Easement shall permit the use and enjoyment of the rights granted under the Easement to the bond trustee. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 706)
The Easement is governed by the laws of the State of Maryland and may only be amended in writing by an amendment executed by BGE and the bond trustee, who may only so act in accordance with the Senior Secured
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Indenture. The Senior Secured Indenture provides that the bond trustee shall, from time to time upon request of BGE so long as no Event of Default thereunder has occurred and is continuing, execute and deliver to BGE an amendment to the Easement, in form satisfactory to the bond trustee,
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without the consent of any holders of secured bonds if such amendment does not adversely affect the interests of the holders of secured bonds in any material respect, |
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without the consent of any holders of secured bonds if such amendment is to release from the Easement any property released from the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture, or |
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with the consent of the holders of secured bonds of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of then outstanding secured bonds, considered as one class, by act of said holders delivered to BGE by the bond trustee. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1308) |
Permitted Liens
The lien of the Senior Secured Indenture is subject to the Permitted Liens described in the Senior Secured Indenture. These Permitted Liens include, among others,
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liens existing at the Execution Date of the Senior Secured Indenture, |
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as to property acquired by BGE after the Execution Date of the Senior Secured Indenture, liens existing or placed on such property at the time BGE acquires such property and any Purchase Money Liens, |
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tax liens, assessments and other governmental charges or requirements which are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or of which at least ten business days notice has not been given to BGEs general counsel or to such other person designated by BGE to receive such notices, |
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mechanics, workmens, repairmens, materialmens, warehousemens and carriers liens, other liens incident to construction, liens or privileges of any of BGEs employees for salary or wages earned, but not yet payable, and other liens, including without limitation liens for workers compensation awards, arising in the ordinary course of business for charges or requirements which are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or of which at least ten business days notice has not been given to BGEs general counsel or to such other person designated by BGE to receive such notices, |
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specified judgment liens and Prepaid Liens, |
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easements, leases, reservations or other rights of others (including governmental entities) in, and defects of title in, BGEs property, |
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liens securing indebtedness or other obligations relating to real property BGE acquired for specified transmission, distribution or communication purposes or for the purpose of obtaining rights-of-way, |
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specified leases and leasehold, license, franchise and permit interests, |
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liens resulting from law, rules, regulations, orders or rights of Governmental Authorities and specified liens required by law or governmental regulations, |
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liens to secure public obligations, |
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rights of others to take minerals, timber, electric energy or capacity, gas, water, steam or other products produced by BGE or by others on BGEs property, |
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rights and interests of persons other than BGE arising out of agreements relating to the common ownership or joint use of property, and liens on the interests of those persons in the property, |
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restrictions on assignment and/or requirements of any assignee to qualify as a permitted assignee and/or public utility or public services corporation, and |
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liens which have been bonded for the full amount in dispute or for the payment of which other adequate security arrangements have been made. (Senior Secured Indenture, Granting Clauses and Section 101) |
The Senior Secured Indenture provides that the bond trustee will have a lien, prior to the lien on the Collateral securing the secured bonds, for the payment of its reasonable compensation and expenses and for indemnity against specified liabilities. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1007) This lien would be a Permitted Lien under the Senior Secured Indenture.
Excepted Property
The lien of the Senior Secured Indenture does not cover, among other things, the following types of property whether owned as of the Execution Date or acquired thereafter:
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all cash, deposit accounts, securities, and all policies of insurance on the lives of BGEs officers not paid or delivered to or deposited with or held by the bond trustee or required so to be; |
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all contracts, leases, operating agreements and other agreements of all kinds (other than BGEs franchises, permits and licenses that are transferable and necessary for the operation of the Collateral), contract rights, bills, notes and other instruments, revenues, income and earnings, all accounts, accounts receivable, rights to payment, payment intangibles and unbilled revenues, rights created by statute or governmental action to bill and collect revenues or other amounts from customers or others, credits, claims, demands and judgments; |
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all governmental and other licenses, permits, franchises, consents and allowances (other than BGEs franchises, permits and licenses that are transferable and necessary for the operation of the Collateral); |
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all intellectual property rights and other general intangibles; |
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all vehicles, movable equipment, aircraft and vessels and all parts, accessories and supplies used in connection with any of the foregoing; |
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all personal property of such character that the perfection of a security interest therein or other lien thereon is not governed by the Uniform Commercial Code in effect where BGE is organized; |
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all merchandise and appliances acquired for the purpose of resale in the ordinary course and conduct of BGEs business, and all materials and supplies held for consumption in operation or held in advance of use thereof for fixed capital purposes; |
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all electric energy and capacity, gas, steam and other materials and products generated, manufactured, produced or purchased by BGE for sale, distribution or use in the ordinary course and conduct of BGEs business; |
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all property which is the subject of a lease agreement designating BGE as lessee, and all BGEs right, title and interest in and to the property and in, to and under the lease agreement, whether or not the lease agreement is intended as security, and the last day of the term of any lease or leasehold which may become subject to the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture; |
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all property which, subsequent to the Execution Date of the Senior Secured Indenture, has been released from the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture and any improvements, extensions, and additions to such properties and renewals, replacements, substitutions of or for any parts thereof; |
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all property included in BGEs electric transmission property account (within the meaning of the Uniform System of Accounts of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any successor provisions thereto); and |
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all real property (other than fixtures), including land, land rights, structures and improvements to the extent not equipment or fixtures (within the meaning of the Uniform System of Accounts of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or any successor provisions thereto). |
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BGE sometimes refers to property of BGE not covered by the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture as Excepted Property. (Senior Secured Indenture, Granting Clauses) BGE may add any of its Excepted Property to the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture at any time as additional security, if it so chooses. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1301)
Issuance of Secured Bonds
Subject to the issuance restrictions described below, the aggregate principal amount of secured bonds that may be authenticated and delivered under the Senior Secured Indenture is unlimited. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 301) Secured bonds of any series may be issued from time to time in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding the sum of the following:
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65% of the cost or fair value to BGE (whichever is less) of Property Additions (as described below) which do not constitute Funded Property (generally, Property Additions which have been made the basis of the authentication and delivery of secured bonds, the release of Collateral or the withdrawal of cash, which have been substituted for retired Funded Property or which have been used for other specified purposes (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 102)) after specified deductions and additions, primarily including adjustments to offset property retirements; |
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the aggregate principal amount of Retired Securities, as defined below; and |
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an amount of cash deposited with the bond trustee. |
Retired Securities mean any secured bonds authenticated and delivered under the Senior Secured Indenture which (i) no longer remain outstanding, (ii) have not been made the basis of the authentication and delivery of secured bonds, the release of Collateral or the withdrawal of cash, which have been substituted for retired Funded Property or which have been used for other specified purposes under any of the provisions of the Senior Secured Indenture and (iii) have not been paid, redeemed, purchased or otherwise retired by the application thereto of Funded Cash. (Senior Secured Indenture, Sections 101, 1602, 1603, 1604 and 1605)
Property Additions generally include any Collateral owned by BGE on the Execution Date or acquired by BGE after the Execution Date and any property that BGE may subject to the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture in the future. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 103)
As of May 31, 2009, BGE could have issued under the Senior Secured Indenture approximately $1.4 billion of secured bonds based upon Property Additions.
Other than the security afforded by the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture and restrictions on the issuance of secured bonds described above, there are no provisions of the Senior Secured Indenture that grant the holders of the secured bonds protection in the event of a highly leveraged transaction involving BGE.
Release of Property
Unless an event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture has occurred and is continuing, BGE may obtain the release from the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture of any Collateral that constitutes Funded Property, except for cash held by the bond trustee, upon delivery to the bond trustee of an amount in cash equal to the amount, if any, by which the lower of the cost or fair value of the property to be released exceeds the aggregate of:
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an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of any obligations secured by Purchase Money Liens upon the property to be released and delivered to the bond trustee; |
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an amount equal to the cost or fair value to BGE (whichever is less) of certified Property Additions not constituting Funded Property after specified deductions and additions, primarily including adjustments |
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to offset property retirements (except that these adjustments need not be made if the Property Additions were acquired, made or constructed within the 90-day period preceding the release); |
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100/65ths of the aggregate principal amount of secured bonds that BGE would be entitled to issue on the basis of Retired Securities (with the entitlement being waived by operation of the release); |
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100/65ths of the aggregate principal amount of any outstanding secured bonds delivered to the bond trustee (with the secured bonds to be canceled by the bond trustee) other than secured bonds issued on the basis of deposited cash; |
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any amount in cash and/or an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of any obligations secured by Purchase Money Liens delivered to a holder of a prior lien on Collateral in consideration for the release of such Collateral from the prior lien; and |
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any taxes and expenses incidental to any sale, exchange, dedication or other disposition of the property to be released. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1803) |
As used in the Senior Secured Indenture, the term Purchase Money Lien means, generally, a lien on property being transferred which is retained by the transferor of such property or granted to one or more other persons in connection with the transfer thereof, or granted to or held by a trustee or agent for any such persons, and may include liens which cover property in addition to the property being transferred and/or which secure indebtedness in addition to indebtedness to the transferor of such property. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 101) Generally, the principal amount of obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien used as the basis for the release of Collateral may not exceed 75% of the fair value of such Collateral unless no additional obligations are outstanding, or are permitted to be issued, under such Purchase Money Lien. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1803)
Unless an event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture has occurred and is continuing, BGE may obtain the release from the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture of any part of the Collateral or any interest therein, which does not constitute Funded Property or Funded Cash held by the bond trustee without depositing any cash or property with the bond trustee as long as (a) the aggregate amount of cost or fair value to BGE (whichever is less) of all Property Additions which do not constitute Funded Property (excluding the property to be released) after specified deductions and additions, primarily including adjustments to offset property retirements, is not less than zero or (b) the cost or fair value (whichever is less) of property to be released does not exceed the aggregate amount of the cost or fair value to BGE (whichever is less) of Property Additions acquired, made or constructed within the 90-day period preceding the release. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1804)
The Senior Secured Indenture provides simplified procedures for the release of Collateral with a cost or fair value to BGE (whichever is less) of up to the greater of $10 million or 3% of outstanding secured bonds during a calendar year and for the release of Collateral taken or sold in connection with the power of eminent domain, provides for dispositions of certain obsolete or unnecessary Collateral and for grants or surrender of certain easements, leases or rights of way without any release or consent by the bond trustee. (Senior Secured Indenture, Sections 1802, 1805 and 1807)
If BGE retains any interest in any property released from the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture, the Senior Secured Indenture will not become a lien on the property or the interest in the property or any improvements, extensions or additions to, or any renewals, replacements or substitutions of or for, any part or parts of the property unless BGE subjects such property to the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1810)
The Senior Secured Indenture also provides that BGE may terminate, abandon, surrender, cancel, release, modify or dispose of any of its franchises, permits or licenses that are Collateral without any consent of the bond trustee or the holders of outstanding secured bonds; provided that (i) such action is, in BGEs opinion, necessary,
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desirable or advisable in the conduct of its business, and (ii) any of BGEs franchises, permits or licenses that, in its opinion, cease to be necessary for the operation of the Collateral shall cease to be Collateral without any release or consent, or report to, the bond trustee. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1802)
Withdrawal of Cash
Unless an event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture has occurred and is continuing, and subject to specified limitations, cash held by the bond trustee may, generally, (1) be withdrawn by BGE (a) to the extent of the cost or fair value to BGE (whichever is less) of Property Additions not constituting Funded Property, after specified deductions and additions, primarily including adjustments to offset retirements (except that these adjustments need not be made if the Property Additions were acquired, made or constructed within the 90-day period preceding the withdrawal) or (b) in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of secured bonds that BGE would be entitled to issue on the basis of Retired Securities (with the entitlement to the issuance being waived by operation of the withdrawal) or (c) in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of any outstanding secured bonds delivered to the bond trustee (with the secured bonds to be cancelled by the bond trustee), or (2) upon BGEs request, be applied to (a) the purchase of secured bonds or (b) the payment (or provision for payment) at stated maturity of any secured bonds or the redemption (or provision for payment) of any secured bonds which are redeemable. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1806)
Defeasance
BGE will be discharged from its obligations on the Senior Secured Bonds if it irrevocably deposits with the bond trustee or any paying agent, other than BGE, sufficient cash or government securities to pay the principal, interest, any premium and any other sums when due on the stated maturity date or a redemption date of the Senior Secured Bonds. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 801) BGEs right to cause the entire indebtedness in respect of the Senior Secured Bonds of any series to be deemed to be satisfied and discharged as described above will also be subject to the satisfaction of any conditions specified in the instrument creating such series.
Consolidation, Merger and Conveyance of Assets
Under the terms of the Senior Secured Indenture, BGE may not consolidate with or merge into any other entity or convey, transfer or lease as, or substantially as, an entirety to any entity the Collateral, unless:
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the surviving or successor entity, or an entity which acquires by conveyance or transfer or which leases the Collateral as, or substantially as, an entirety, is organized and validly existing under the laws of any domestic jurisdiction, and it expressly assumes BGEs obligations on all secured bonds then outstanding under the Senior Secured Indenture and confirms the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture on the Collateral (as constituted immediately prior to the time such transaction became effective) and subjecting to the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture all property thereafter acquired by the successor entity that constitutes an improvement, extension or addition to the Collateral (as so constituted) or a renewal, replacement or substitution of or for any part thereof, but only to the extent that such improvement, extension or addition is so affixed or attached to real property as to be regarded a part of such real property or is an improvement, extension or addition to personal property that is made to maintain, renew, repair or improve the function of such personal property and is physically installed in or affixed to such personal property; |
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in the case of a lease, such lease is made expressly subject to termination by BGE or by the bond trustee and by the purchaser of the property so leased at any sale thereof at any time during the continuance of an event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture; |
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BGE shall have delivered to the bond trustee an officers certificate and an opinion of counsel as provided in the Senior Secured Indenture; and |
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immediately after giving effect to such transaction (and treating any debt that becomes an obligation of the successor entity as a result of such transaction as having been incurred by the successor entity at the time of such transaction), no event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture, or event which, after notice or lapse of time or both, would become an event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture, shall have occurred and be continuing. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1201) |
In the case of the conveyance or other transfer of the Collateral as, or substantially as, an entirety to any other person, upon the satisfaction of all the conditions described above, BGE would be released and discharged from all of its obligations and covenants under the Senior Secured Indenture and on the secured bonds then outstanding unless it elects to waive such release and discharge. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1204)
The Senior Secured Indenture does not prevent or restrict:
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any conveyance or other transfer, or lease, of any part of the Collateral that does not constitute the entirety, or substantially the entirety, of the Collateral (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1205); or |
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any conveyance, transfer or lease of any of BGEs properties where BGE retains Collateral with a fair value in excess of 100/65ths of the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding secured bonds, and any other outstanding debt secured by a Purchase Money Lien that ranks equally with, or senior to, the secured bonds with respect to the Collateral. This fair value will be determined within 90 days of the conveyance, transfer or lease by an independent expert that BGE selects. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1206) |
Although the successor entity may, in its sole discretion, subject to the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture property then owned or thereafter acquired by the successor entity, the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture generally will not cover the property of the successor entity other than the Collateral it acquires from BGE and improvements, extensions, additions to such Collateral and renewals, replacements and substitutions thereof, within the meaning of the Senior Secured Indenture. The terms of the Senior Secured Indenture do not restrict mergers in which BGE is the surviving entity. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1205)
Events of Default
Event of Default, when used in the Senior Secured Indenture with respect to secured bonds, means any of the following:
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failure to pay interest on any secured bond for 30 days after it is due unless BGE has made a valid extension of the interest payment period with respect to such secured bond as provided in the Senior Secured Indenture; |
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failure to pay the principal of or any premium on any secured bond when due unless BGE has made a valid extension of the maturity of such secured bond as provided in the Senior Secured Indenture; |
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failure to perform or breach of any other covenant or warranty in the Senior Secured Indenture that continues for 90 days after BGE receives written notice from the bond trustee, or BGE and the bond trustee receive written notice from the holders of at least 33% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding secured bonds, unless the bond trustee, or the bond trustee and the holders of a principal amount of secured bonds not less than the principal amount of secured bonds the holders of which gave such notice, as the case may be, agree in writing to an extension of such period prior to its expiration; provided, however, that the bond trustee, or the bond trustee and the holders of such principal amount of secured bonds, as the case may be, shall be deemed to have agreed to an extension of such period if corrective action is initiated by BGE within such period and is being diligently pursued; |
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events of BGEs bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization as specified in the Senior Secured Indenture; or |
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any other event of default included in any supplemental indenture, board resolution or officers certificate establishing a series of secured bonds. (Senior Secured Indenture, Sections 301, 901 and 1301) |
Except in the case of failure to pay principal, interest or any installment for retirement of secured bonds, the bond trustee may withhold notice of default if it believes that withholding the notice is in the interests of the holders of the secured bonds.
Remedies
If an event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture occurs and is continuing, then the bond trustee, by written notice to BGE, or the holders of at least 33% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding secured bonds, by written notice to BGE and the bond trustee, may declare the principal amount of all of the secured bonds to be due and payable immediately, and upon BGEs receipt of such notice, such principal amount, together with premium, if any, and accrued and unpaid interest will become immediately due and payable.
At any time after such declaration of acceleration has been made but before any sale of the Collateral and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the bond trustee, the event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture giving rise to such declaration of acceleration will be considered cured, and such declaration and its consequences will be considered rescinded and annulled, if:
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BGE has paid or deposited with the bond trustee a sum sufficient to pay: |
| (1) | all overdue interest on all outstanding secured bonds; |
| (2) | the principal of and premium, if any, on the outstanding secured bonds that have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and overdue interest thereon; |
| (3) | interest on overdue interest to the extent lawful; and |
| (4) | all amounts due to the bond trustee under the Senior Secured Indenture; and |
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any other event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture with respect to the secured bonds has been cured or waived as provided in the Senior Secured Indenture. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 902) |
There is no automatic acceleration, even in the event of BGEs bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization.
Subject to the Senior Secured Indenture, under specified circumstances and to the extent permitted by law and the terms and conditions of any Permitted Liens and the related contracts evidencing or governing such liens and subject to the requirements of any thereof, if an event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture occurs and is continuing, the bond trustee has the power to appoint a receiver for the Collateral, and is entitled to the exercise of all other remedies available to mortgagees and secured parties under the Uniform Commercial Code or any other applicable law. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 916)
Other than its duties in case of an event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture, the bond trustee is not obligated to exercise any of its rights or powers under the Senior Secured Indenture at the request, order or direction of any of the holders of secured bonds, unless the holders offer the bond trustee an indemnity satisfactory to it. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1003) If they provide this indemnity, the holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding secured bonds will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the bond trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the bond trustee. The bond trustee is not obligated to comply with directions that conflict with law or other provisions of the Senior Secured Indenture or that could involve the bond trustee in personal liability in circumstances where indemnity would not, in the bond trustees sole discretion, be adequate. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 912)
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No holder of secured bonds will have any right to institute any proceeding under the Senior Secured Indenture, or any remedy under the Senior Secured Indenture, unless:
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the holder has previously given to the bond trustee written notice of a continuing event of default under the Senior Secured Indenture; |
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the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding secured bonds of all series have made a written request to the bond trustee, and have offered indemnity satisfactory to the bond trustee to institute proceedings; and |
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the bond trustee has failed to institute any proceeding for 60 days after notice and has not received during that period any direction from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding secured bonds inconsistent with the written request of holders referred to above. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 907) |
However, these limitations do not apply to the absolute and unconditional right of a holder of a secured bond to institute suit for payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on the secured bond on or after the applicable due date. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 908)
BGE will provide to the bond trustee an annual statement by an appropriate officer as to its compliance with all conditions and covenants under the Senior Secured Indenture. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 705)
Modification and Waiver
Without the consent of any holder of secured bonds, BGE and the bond trustee may enter into one or more amendments for any of the following purposes:
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to evidence the assumption by any permitted successor of BGEs covenants in the Senior Secured Indenture and in the secured bonds; |
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to add one or more covenants or other provisions for the benefit of the holders of all or any series or tranche of secured bonds, or to surrender any right or power conferred upon BGE; |
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to add additional events of default under the Senior Secured Indenture for all or any series of secured bonds; |
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to change or eliminate or add any new provision to the Senior Secured Indenture; provided, however, if the change, elimination or addition will adversely affect the interests of the holders of secured bonds of any series in any material respect, the change, elimination or addition will become effective only: |
| (1) | when the consent of the holders of secured bonds of such series has been obtained in accordance with the Senior Secured Indenture; or |
| (2) | when no secured bonds of the affected series remain outstanding under the Senior Secured Indenture; |
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to provide additional security for any secured bonds; |
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to establish the form or terms of secured bonds of any other series as permitted by the Senior Secured Indenture; |
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to provide for the authentication and delivery of bearer securities with or without coupons; |
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to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment by a separate or successor bond trustee or co-trustee; |
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to provide for the procedures required for use of a noncertificated system of registration for the secured bonds of all or any series; |
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to change any place where principal, premium, if any, and interest shall be payable, secured bonds may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange and notices to BGE may be served; |
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to amend and restate the Senior Secured Indenture as originally executed and as amended from time to time, with additions, deletions and other changes that do not adversely affect the interests of the holders of secured bonds of any series in any material respect; or |
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to cure any ambiguity or inconsistency or to make any other changes or additions to the provisions of the Senior Secured Indenture if such changes or additions will not adversely affect the interests of the holders of secured bonds of any series in any material respect. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1301) |
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of then outstanding secured bonds, considered as one class, may waive compliance by BGE with some restrictive provisions of the Senior Secured Indenture. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 706) The holders of a majority in principal amount of then outstanding secured bonds may waive any past default under the Senior Secured Indenture, except a default in the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest and certain covenants and provisions of the Senior Secured Indenture that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding secured bond of any affected series. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 913)
Except as provided below, the consent of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of then outstanding secured bonds, considered as one class, is required for all other amendments or modifications to the Senior Secured Indenture. However, if less than all of the series of secured bonds outstanding are directly affected by a proposed amendment or modification, then the consent of the holders of only a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding secured bonds of all series that are directly affected, considered as one class, will be required. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment or modification may be made without the consent of the holder of each directly affected secured bond then outstanding:
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change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any secured bond, or reduce the principal amount of any secured bond or its rate of interest or change the method of calculating that interest rate or reduce any premium payable upon redemption, or change the currency in which payments are made, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or after the stated maturity of any secured bond; |
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create any lien ranking prior to or on a parity with the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture with respect to the Collateral, terminate the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture on the Collateral or deprive any holder of a secured bond of the benefits of the security of the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture; |
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reduce the percentage in principal amount of the outstanding secured bonds of any series the consent of the holders of which is required for any amendment or modification or any waiver of compliance with a provision of the Senior Secured Indenture or of any default thereunder and its consequences, or reduce the requirements for a quorum or voting; or |
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modify certain provisions of the Senior Secured Indenture relating to supplemental indentures, waivers of some covenants and waivers of past defaults with respect to the secured bonds of any series. |
A supplemental indenture that changes the Senior Secured Indenture solely for the benefit of one or more particular series of secured bonds, or modifies the rights of the holders of secured bonds of one or more series, will not affect the rights under the Senior Secured Indenture of the holders of the secured bonds of any other series. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1302)
The Senior Secured Indenture provides that secured bonds owned by BGE or anyone else required to make payment on the secured bonds shall be disregarded and considered not to be outstanding in determining whether the required holders have given a request or consent. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 101)
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BGE may fix in advance a record date to determine the holders entitled to give any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or similar act of the holders, but BGE has no obligation to do so. If BGE fixes a record date, that request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act of the holders may be given before or after that record date, but only the holders of record at the close of business on that record date will be considered holders for the purposes of determining whether holders of the required percentage of the outstanding secured bonds have authorized or agreed or consented to the request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other act of the holders. For that purpose, the outstanding secured bonds will be computed as of the record date.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other act of a holder of any secured bond will bind every future holder of that secured bond and the holder of every secured bond issued upon the registration of transfer of or in exchange for that secured bond. A transferee will also be bound by acts of the bond trustee or BGE in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of that action is made upon the secured bond. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 106)
Resignation of a Bond Trustee
The bond trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice to BGE or may be removed at any time by an act of the holders of a majority in principal amount of secured bonds then outstanding delivered to the bond trustee and BGE. No resignation or removal of the bond trustee and no appointment of a successor trustee will be effective until the acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee. So long as no event of default or event which, after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become an event of default has occurred and is continuing and except with respect to a trustee appointed by act of the holders, if BGE has delivered to the bond trustee a board resolution appointing a successor trustee and the successor has accepted the appointment in accordance with the terms of the Senior Secured Indenture, the bond trustee will be deemed to have resigned and the successor will be deemed to have been appointed as trustee in accordance with the Senior Secured Indenture. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 1010)
Notices
Notices to holders of secured bonds will be given by mail to the addresses of the holders as they may appear in the security register for the secured bonds. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 108)
Title
BGE, the bond trustee, and any of BGEs or the bond trustees agents, may treat the person in whose name secured bonds are registered as the absolute owner thereof, whether or not the secured bonds may be overdue, for the purpose of making payments and for all other purposes irrespective of notice to the contrary. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 308)
Governing Law
The Senior Secured Indenture is, and the secured bonds will be, governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of New York except where otherwise required by law, including with respect to the creation, perfection, priority or enforcement of the lien of the Senior Secured Indenture or exercise of remedies with respect to the Collateral. (Senior Secured Indenture, Section 114)
Information about the Bond Trustee
The bond trustee will be Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas. In addition to acting as bond trustee, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas also acts, and may act, as trustee under various other of BGEs and its affiliates indentures, trusts and guarantees. BGE and its affiliates maintain deposit accounts and credit and
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liquidity facilities and conduct other banking transactions with the bond trustee and its affiliates in the ordinary course of their respective businesses.
The following briefly summarizes the provisions of each of Constellation Energys and BGEs charter and bylaws. The following description may not be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the terms and provisions of their charter and bylaws. See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION.
Authorized Common Stock
Constellation Energys authorized capital stock includes 600,000,000 shares of common stock without par value. As of March 31, 2009, 211,462,872 shares have either been issued and are now outstanding or have been reserved for issuance, and 388,537,128 shares are authorized but unissued and unreserved.
Authorized Preferred Stock
Constellation Energys board of directors can, without further action by its shareholders, establish from the 25,000,000 undesignated shares of preferred stock, $0.01 per share par value, authorized by its charter one or more series of preferred stock. As of March 31, 2009, 10,000 shares of Constellation Energys Series B Preferred Stock are issued and 1,600 shares of Constellation Energys Series B Preferred Stock are reserved for issuance.
BGEs board of directors can, without further action by Constellation Energy, its sole shareholder, establish from the 1,000,000 undesignated shares of preferred stock, $100 per share par value, authorized by its charter one or more series of preferred stock. As of March 31, 2009, none of BGEs preferred stock is issued or reserved for issuance.
Description of Common Stock
Dividend Rights
Constellation Energy will pay dividends on its common stock when declared by its board of directors. However, Constellation Energy must first pay all dividends and any redemption payments due on any outstanding shares of its preferred stock before it pays common stock dividends.
Voting Rights
Holders of Constellation Energys common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters on which shareholders vote. There are no cumulative voting rights.
Liquidation
If Constellation Energy liquidates or dissolves, its common stockholders will share equally in any of its assets remaining after full payment of liabilities to its creditors and the liquidation value per share plus accrued dividends due to holders of any outstanding shares of its preferred stock.
General
Holders of Constellation Energys common stock do not have any preemptive or special rights to purchase any shares of common stock it may issue at a later date. In addition, as holders of common stock, you have no redemption, conversion or sinking fund rights. When issued to you, the common stock will be legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
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Description of Preferred Stock
Constellation Energy or BGE may issue preferred stock in one or more series, as described below. The following briefly summarizes the provisions of its charter that would be important to holders of its preferred stock. The following description may not be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by reference to, the terms and provisions of the applicable charter. See WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION.
The description of most of the financial and other specific terms of each series will be in the prospectus supplement in connection with the offering of that series. Those terms may vary from the terms described herein.
As you read this section, please remember that the specific terms of each series of preferred stock as described in the applicable prospectus supplement will supplement and, if applicable, may modify or replace the general terms described in this section. If there are differences between the prospectus supplement and this prospectus, the prospectus supplement will control. Thus, the statements we make in this section may not apply to every series of preferred stock.
Reference to a series of preferred stock means all of the shares of preferred stock issued as part of the same series under articles supplementary filed as part of the applicable charter. Reference to the applicable prospectus supplement means the prospectus supplement describing the specific terms of that offering of preferred stock you purchase. The terms used in your prospectus supplement will have the meanings described in this prospectus, unless otherwise specified.
The prospectus supplement relating to a particular series of preferred stock will contain a description of the specific terms of that series as fixed by the issuers board of directors, including, as applicable:
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the number of shares; |
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the designation; |
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the voting powers; |
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votes per share (which cannot be greater than one vote per share); |
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liquidation preferences; |
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relative participating, optional or other rights; |
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conversion or exchange rights; |
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redemption rights; |
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put and sinking fund provisions; |
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dividend rights; |
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the terms or conditions of redemption; and |
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any other applicable terms. |
In some cases, the issuance of preferred stock by Constellation Energy could delay a change in control of Constellation Energy and make it harder to remove present management. Under certain circumstances, preferred stock could also restrict dividend payments to holders of Constellation Energys or BGEs common stock.
When we issue and receive payment for the preferred stock, the shares will be fully paid and nonassessable. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, the preferred stock will have priority over the issuers common stock as to dividends and distributions of assets. Therefore, the rights of any preferred stock that may subsequently be issued may limit the rights of the holders of the issuers common stock. Pursuant to the terms of Constellation Energys Series B Preferred Stock, Constellation Energy is not permitted to issue
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preferred stock that ranks on a parity with the Series B Preferred Stock or that has a right to dividends or redemption without the consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock.
The transfer agent, registrar, and dividend disbursement agent for a series of preferred stock will be named in a prospectus supplement. The registrar for shares of preferred stock will send notices to shareholders of any meetings at which holders of the preferred stock have the right to elect directors or to vote on any other matter.
The applicable prospectus supplement relating to any series of preferred stock that is convertible, exercisable or exchangeable will state the terms on which shares of that series are convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of common stock, another series of preferred stock or other securities of Constellation Energy or BGE, or debt or equity securities of third parties.
Maryland General Corporation Law and the Charter and Bylaws
Constellation Energy and BGE are Maryland corporations. Provisions of Marylands General Corporation Law (Maryland Law), in addition to provisions of the applicable charter and bylaws, address corporate governance issues, including the rights of shareholders. Some of these provisions could hinder management changes while others could have an anti-takeover effect. This anti-takeover effect may, in some circumstances, reduce the control premium that might otherwise be reflected in the value of Constellation Energys stock.
We have summarized the key provisions of Maryland Law and each of Constellation Energys and BGEs charter and bylaws below. Because it is a summary, it does not contain all of the information that may be important to you. You should read the applicable charter and bylaws (see WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION), and the relevant sections of Maryland Law to get a complete understanding of your rights. This summary is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, reference to all the provisions of the applicable charter, bylaws and Maryland Law.
Business Combination Statute. Subject to certain exceptions, Maryland Law prohibits certain business combinations between a corporation and an interested stockholder for five years after the most recent date on which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, and thereafter imposes special appraisal rights and special stockholder voting requirements. The statute requires a business combination which is not excepted and which takes place after the five-year moratorium to be approved by the affirmative vote of at least (1) 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by the outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation, voting together as a group; and (2) two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock other than the interested stockholder who is a party to the combination, voting together as a group. An interested stockholder is defined as a beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of ten percent or more of the voting power of the outstanding voting stock of the corporation. However, a person is not an interested stockholder if, prior to the most recent time at which such person would otherwise have become an interested stockholder, the board of directors of the corporation approved the transaction which otherwise would have resulted in the persons becoming an interested stockholder (which approval may be made subject to compliance at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board, e.g., a standstill requirement). Maryland Law allows companies to opt out of this provision. Neither Constellation Energy nor BGE has opted out.
Control Share Statute. Maryland Law provides, with certain exceptions, that control shares (generally, shares with more than one-tenth, one-third and a majority of the power to vote generally in the election of directors) of a corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by the stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding interested shares. If the stockholders do not accord voting rights to the control shares, the corporation may redeem the control shares under certain circumstances. Unless the charter or bylaws provide otherwise, if voting rights are approved, and as a result the interested stockholder becomes entitled to exercise a majority or more of the voting power of all shares of the corporation, non-interested stockholders will have dissenters rights. Maryland Law allows companies to opt out of this provision. Constellation Energy has opted out, but can opt back in at its option.
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Corporate Governance. Shareholders of Constellation Energy may remove directors only for cause upon the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of the combined voting powers of the classes of capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors. The number of directors may be fixed only by vote of the board of directors and vacancies on the board may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office. Shareholder proposals and nominations are subject to specified restrictions and procedures contained in its bylaws. The effect of these provisions could be to delay the shareholders ability to elect a majority of new directors.
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General
Constellation Energy may issue warrants to purchase debt securities, preferred stock, common stock or any combination of these securities and these warrants may be issued by Constellation Energy independently or together with any underlying securities and may be attached to or separate from the underlying securities. Constellation Energy will issue each series of warrants under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into between Constellation Energy and a warrant agent. The warrant agent will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. The warrant agent will act solely as Constellation Energys agent in connection with the warrants of the series for which it is appointed and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency for or with holders or beneficial owners of warrants of that series.
The following outlines some of the general terms and provisions of the warrants. Further terms of the warrants and the applicable warrant agreement will be stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. The following description and any description of the warrants in a prospectus supplement may not be complete and is subject to, and qualified in its entirety by, reference to the terms and provisions of the warrant agreement, a form of which has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement which contains this prospectus.
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any warrants that Constellation Energy may offer, including the following:
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the title of the warrants; |
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the total number of warrants; |
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the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued; |
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the currency or currencies investors may use to pay for the warrants; |
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the designation and terms of the underlying securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants; |
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the price at which and the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which investors may purchase the underlying securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants; |
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the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and the date on which the right will expire; |
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whether the warrants will be issued in registered form or bearer form; |
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information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any; |
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if applicable, the minimum or maximum amount of warrants which may be exercised at any one time; |
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if applicable, the designation and terms of the underlying securities with which the warrants are issued and the number of warrants issued with each underlying security; |
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if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the related underlying securities will be separately transferable; |
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if applicable, a discussion of material United States federal income tax considerations; |
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the identity of the warrant agent; |
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the procedures and conditions relating to the exercise of the warrants; and |
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any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants. |
Warrant certificates may be exchanged for new warrant certificates of different denominations, and warrants may be exercised at the warrant agents corporate trust office or any other office indicated in the applicable
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prospectus supplement. Prior to the exercise of their warrants, holders of warrants exercisable for debt securities will not have any of the rights of holders of the debt securities purchasable upon such exercise and will not be entitled to payments of principal (or premium, if any) or interest, if any, on the debt securities purchasable upon such exercise. Prior to the exercise of their warrants, holders of warrants exercisable for shares of preferred stock or common stock will not have any rights of holders of the preferred stock or common stock and will not be entitled to dividend payments, if any, or voting rights of the preferred stock or common stock.
Exercise of Warrants
A warrant will entitle the holder to purchase for cash an amount of securities at an exercise price that will be stated in, or that will be determinable as described in, the applicable prospectus supplement. The exercise price for the warrants will be subject to adjustment in accordance with the applicable prospectus supplement. Warrants may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void.
Warrants may be exercised as set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Upon receipt of payment and the warrant certificate properly completed and duly executed at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, Constellation Energy will, as soon as practicable, forward the securities purchasable upon such exercise. If less than all of the warrants represented by such warrant certificate are exercised, a new warrant certificate will be issued for the remaining warrants.
Enforceability of Rights
The holders of warrants, without the consent of the warrant agent, may, on their own behalf and for their own benefit, enforce, and may institute and maintain any suit, action or proceeding against Constellation Energy to enforce their rights to exercise and receive the securities purchasable upon exercise of their warrants.
DESCRIPTION OF STOCK PURCHASE CONTRACTS
Constellation Energy may issue stock purchase contracts, representing contracts obligating holders to purchase from or sell to Constellation Energy, and obligating Constellation Energy to purchase from or sell to the holders, a specified number of shares of Constellation Energys common stock or preferred stock, as applicable, at a future date or dates. The price per share of common stock or preferred stock, as applicable, may be fixed at the time the stock purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula contained in the stock purchase contracts. Constellation Energy may issue stock purchase contracts in such amounts and in as many distinct series as it wishes. The stock purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of units consisting of a stock purchase contract and beneficial interests in debt securities, preferred stock or debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. treasury securities, securing the holders obligations to purchase the common stock under the stock purchase contracts, which are referred to in this prospectus as units. The stock purchase contracts may require Constellation Energy to make periodic payments to the holders of the stock purchase units or vice versa, and these payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis. The stock purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations under those contracts in a specified manner.
The applicable prospectus supplement may contain, where applicable, the following information about the stock purchase contracts issued under it:
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whether the stock purchase contracts obligate the holder to purchase or sell, or both purchase and sell, Constellation Energys common stock or preferred stock, as applicable, and the nature and amount of each of those securities, or the method of determining those amounts; |
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whether the stock purchase contracts are to be prepaid or not; |
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whether the stock purchase contracts are to be settled by delivery, or by reference or linkage to the value, performance or level of Constellation Energys common stock or preferred stock; |
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any acceleration, cancellation, termination or other provisions relating to the settlement of the stock purchase contracts; |
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whether the stock purchase contracts will be issued in fully registered or global form; and |
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any other terms of the stock purchase contracts. |
Constellation Energy may, from time to time, issue units comprised of one or more of the other securities described in this prospectus in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date.
The applicable prospectus supplement may describe:
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the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
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any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and |
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whether the units will be issued in fully registered or global form. |
The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of any units. The preceding description and any description of units in the applicable prospectus supplement does not purport to be complete and is subject to, and is qualified in its entirety by, reference to the relevant unit agreement and, if applicable, collateral arrangements and depositary arrangements relating to such units.
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We may sell the securities offered (a) through agents; (b) by underwriters or dealers; (c) directly to one or more purchasers; or (d) through a combination of any of these methods of sale.
In some cases we may also repurchase the securities and reoffer them to the public by one or more of the methods described above.
This prospectus may be used in connection with any offering of securities through any of these methods or other methods described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Any underwriter or agent involved in the offer and sale of the securities will be named in the applicable prospectus supplement.
By Agents
Offered securities may be sold on a one time or a continuing basis by agents designated by the applicable issuer. The agents will use their reasonable efforts to solicit purchases for the period of their appointment under the terms of an agency agreement between the agents and the applicable issuer.
By Underwriters or Dealers
If underwriters are used in the sale, the underwriters may be designated by the applicable issuer or selected through a bidding process. The securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account. The underwriters may resell the securities in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. The obligations of the underwriters to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions. The underwriters will be obligated to purchase all the securities of the series offered if any of the securities are purchased. Any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.
Only underwriters named in the applicable prospectus supplement are deemed to be underwriters in connection with the securities offered hereby.
If dealers are utilized in the sale of the securities, the applicable issuer will sell the securities to the dealers as principals. The dealers may then resell the securities to the public at varying prices to be determined by such dealers at the time of resale. The names of the dealers and the terms of the transaction will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Direct Sales
We may also sell securities directly to the public. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved.
General Information
We may authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase securities from us at the public offering price pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a later date or dates, all as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Each delayed delivery contract will be for an amount not less than, and the aggregate amount of the securities shall be not less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the prospectus supplement. Institutions with whom the delayed delivery
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contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions, and other institutions, but will in all cases be subject to our approval. The delayed delivery contracts will not be subject to any conditions except:
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the purchase by an institution of the securities covered by its delayed delivery contract shall not, at any time of delivery, be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction in the United States to which such delayed delivery contract is subject; and |
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if the securities are being sold to underwriters, we shall have sold to those underwriters the total amount of the securities less the amount thereof covered by the delayed delivery contracts. The underwriters will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of the delayed delivery contracts. |
Unless otherwise specified in the related prospectus supplement, each series of the securities will be a new issue with no established trading market, other than the common stock. Any common stock sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement or issuable upon conversion of another offered security will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to official notice of issuance. We may elect to list any of the other securities on an exchange, but are not obligated to do so. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a series of the securities, but no underwriter will be obligated to do so and any underwriter may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. We cannot predict the activity of trading in, or liquidity of, our securities.
In connection with sales by an agent or in an underwritten offering, the SEC rules permit the underwriters or agents to engage in transactions that stabilize the price of the securities. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters or agents of a greater number of securities than they are required to purchase in an offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of certain bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the securities while an offering is in progress.
The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the underwriters have repurchased securities sold by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short-covering transactions.
These activities by the underwriters may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the securities. As a result, the price of the securities may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. If these activities are commenced, they may be discontinued by the underwriters at any time. These transactions may be effected on an exchange or automated quotation system, if the securities are listed on that exchange or admitted for trading on that automated quotation system, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise.
We may from time to time, without the consent of the existing security holders, create and issue further securities having the same terms and conditions as the securities being offered hereby in all respects, except for issue date, issue price and if applicable, the first payment of interest or dividends therein or other terms as noted in the applicable prospectus supplement. Additional securities issued in this manner will be consolidated with, and will form a single series with, the previously outstanding securities.
Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be underwriters as defined in the Securities Act of 1933, and any discounts or commissions received by them from us and any profit on the resale of the securities by them may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act.
We may have agreements with the underwriters, dealers and agents to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, or to contribute with respect to payments which the underwriters, dealers or agents may be required to make.
Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us or our subsidiaries or affiliates in the ordinary course of their businesses.
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Unless otherwise noted in the applicable prospectus supplement, one of our lawyers will issue an opinion regarding the validity of the securities offered pursuant to this prospectus. Our lawyer may rely as to matters of New York law on the opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York, New York or Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, New York, New York.
The financial statements and managements assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (which is included in Managements Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting) incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2008 and the financial statements incorporated in this prospectus by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company for the year ended December 31, 2008 have been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
Constellation Energy files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. BGE files annual, quarterly and current reports, and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document filed by BGE or Constellation Energy at the SECs public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. The SEC maintains an internet site at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information, regarding companies (including Constellation Energy and BGE) that file documents with the SEC electronically. Constellation Energys and BGEs SEC filings may also be obtained from Constellation Energys web site at http://www.constellation.com. The addresses for both the SECs and Constellation Energys web site are inactive textual references only and the contents of those sites (other than the documents incorporated by reference as set forth below) are not a part of this prospectus.
This prospectus is part of a registration statement we filed with the SEC. In addition, the SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. Constellation Energy and BGE incorporate by reference the documents listed below only in respect of offerings conducted by each of them (and not the other) and any future filings made with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 until Constellation Energy and BGE sell all the securities.
Constellation Energy (Exchange Act File No. 1-12869)
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Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008. |
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Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009. |
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Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 14, 2009, February 18, 2009 (other than the portion of that document not deemed to be filed), April 29, 2009, May 29, 2009 and July 8, 2009. |
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Description of the Common Stock under the caption Proposal No. 1, Approval of the Share Exchange and Formation of the Holding CompanyConstellation Energy Capital Stock in the Proxy Statement |
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and Prospectus contained in Amendment No. 1 to Constellation Energys Registration Statement on Form S-4 (Reg. No. 33-64799), including any amendments or reports filed with the SEC for the purpose of updating this description. |
BGE (Exchange Act File No. 1-1910)
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Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008. |
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Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009. |
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Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 18, 2009 (other than the portion of that document not deemed to be filed) and July 8, 2009. |
Any person, including any beneficial owner, may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning Constellation Energy at the following address:
Investor Relations
Constellation Energy Group, Inc.
100 Constellation Way
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
410-470-6440
You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. Neither Constellation energy nor BGE have authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. Neither Constellation Energy nor BGE are making an offer of these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of those documents or that the information incorporated by reference is accurate as of any date other than the date of the document incorporated by reference.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
| ITEM 14. | OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION. |
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Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee |
$ | * | |
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Services of Independent Accountants |
** | ||
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Trustee Fees and Expenses |
** | ||
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Legal Fees and Expenses |
** | ||
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Debt Securities Rating Fees |
** | ||
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Printing and Delivery Expenses |
** | ||
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Listing Fees |
** | ||
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Transfer Agent and Fees |
** | ||
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Miscellaneous Expenses |
** | ||
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Total |
$ | ** | |
| * | To be deferred pursuant to Rule 456(b) and calculated in connection with the offering of securities under this registration statement pursuant to Rule 457(r). |
| ** | Estimated expenses not presently known. Each prospectus supplement will reflect estimated expenses based on the amount of the related offering. |
| ITEM 15. | INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS. |
The following description of indemnification allowed under Maryland statutory law is a summary rather than a complete description. Reference is made to Section 2-418 of the Corporations and Associations Article of the Maryland Annotated Code, which is incorporated herein by reference, and the following summary is qualified in its entirety by such reference.
By a Maryland statute, a Maryland corporation may indemnify any director who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending, or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (Proceeding) by reason of the fact that he is a present or former director of the corporation and any person who, while a director of the corporation, is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, partner, trustee, employee, or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, limited liability company, other enterprise, or employee benefit plan (Director). Such indemnification may be against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by such Director in connection with the Proceeding unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the Director was material to the matter giving rise to the Proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith, or (ii) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; or (b) the Director actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property, or services; or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the Director had reasonable cause to believe the act or omission was unlawful. However, the corporation may not indemnify any Director in connection with a Proceeding by or in the right of the corporation if the Director has been adjudged to be liable to the corporation. A Director who has been successful in the defense of any Proceeding described above, or in the defense of any claim, issue or matter in the Proceeding, shall be indemnified against reasonable expenses incurred in connection with the Proceeding or the claim, issue or matter in which the Director has been successful. The corporation may not indemnify a Director in respect of any Proceeding charging improper personal benefits to the Director in which the Director was adjudged to be liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. The corporation may not indemnify a Director or advance expenses for a Proceeding brought by the Director against the corporation except if the Proceeding is brought to enforce indemnification by the corporation or if the corporations charter or bylaws, a board resolution or contract provides otherwise. Notwithstanding the above provisions, a court of appropriate jurisdiction, upon application of the Director, may order indemnification if it determines that in view of all the relevant
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circumstances, the Director is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification; however, indemnification with respect to any Proceeding by or in the right of the corporation or in which liability was adjudged on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received shall be limited to expenses. A corporation may advance reasonable expenses to a Director prior to the final disposition of a Proceeding upon receipt by the corporation of a written undertaking by or on behalf of the Director to repay the amount if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation has not been met.
A corporation may indemnify and advance expenses to an officer of the corporation to the same extent that it may indemnify Directors under the statute.
The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by statute is not exclusive of any other rights, by indemnification or otherwise, to which a Director or officer may be entitled under the charter, bylaws, a resolution of shareholders or directors, an agreement or otherwise.
A corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a Director or officer, whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify a Director or officer against liability under the provision of this section of Maryland law. Further, a corporation may provide similar protection, including a trust fund, letter of credit or surety bond, not inconsistent with the statute.
Constellation Energy
Article Eighth of Constellation Energys Charter reads as follows:
(a)(i) The Corporation shall indemnify
(A) Its Directors and Officers, whether serving the Corporation or at its request any other entity, to the full extent required or permitted by the general laws of the State of Maryland, now or hereafter in force, including the advance of expenses, under the procedures and to the full extent permitted by law, and
(B) other employees and agents, to such extent as shall be authorized by the Board of Directors or the Corporations by-laws and be permitted by law.
(ii) The foregoing rights of indemnification shall not be exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled.
(iii) The Board of Directors may take such action as is necessary to carry out these indemnification provisions and is expressly empowered to adopt, approve and amend from time to time such by-laws, resolutions or contracts implementing such provisions or such further indemnification arrangements as may be permitted by law. No amendment of the Charter of the Corporation or repeal of any of its provisions shall limit or eliminate the right to indemnification provided hereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.
(b) To the fullest extent permitted by Maryland statutory or decisional law, as amended or interpreted, no Director or Officer of this Corporation shall be personally liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for money damages. No amendment of the Charter of the Corporation or repeal of any of its provisions shall limit or eliminate the limitation on liability provided to Directors and Officers hereunder with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.
Article V of Constellation Energys By-Laws reads as follows:
The Corporation shall indemnify any present or former Director or Officer of the Corporation and each director or elected officer of any direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation who is made, or
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threatened to be made, a party to a proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or by reason of service, while a Director or Officer of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, as a director or officer of another corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise, and the Corporation shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses incurred in advance of final disposition of the proceeding, in each case to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Maryland. The Corporation may indemnify, and advance reasonable expenses to, other employees and agents of the Corporation and employees and agents of any subsidiary of the Corporation to the extent authorized by the Board of Directors. The Corporation will follow the procedures required by applicable law in determining persons eligible for indemnification and in making indemnification payments and advances.
The indemnification and advance of expenses provided by the Charter and these by-laws shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which a person seeking indemnification or advance of expenses may be entitled under any law (common or statutory), or any agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested Directors or other provision that is consistent with law, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding office or while employed or acting as agent for the corporation, shall continue in respect of all events occurring while a person was a Director or Officer after such person has ceased to be a Director or Officer, and shall inure to the benefits of the estate, heirs, executors and administrators of such person. All rights to indemnification and advance of expenses under the Charter of the Corporation and hereunder shall be deemed to be a contract between the Corporation and each Director or Officer of the Corporation who serves or served in such capacity at any time while this by-law is in effect. Nothing herein shall prevent the amendment of this by-law, provided that no such amendment shall diminish the rights of any person hereunder with respect to events occurring or claims made before its adoption or as to claims made after its adoption in respect of events occurring before its adoption. Any repeal or modification of this by-law shall not in any way diminish any rights to indemnification or advance of expenses of such Director or Officer or the obligations of the Corporation arising hereunder with respect to events occurring, or claims made, while this by-law or any provision hereof is in force.
The Directors and officers of Constellation Energy are covered by insurance indemnifying them against certain liabilities which might be incurred by them in their capacities as such, including certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933. The premium for this insurance is paid by Constellation Energy.
BGE
Article V of BGEs Charter reads as follows:
A director or officer of the corporation shall not be personally liable to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages except (i) to the extent that it is proved that the person actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property, or services for the amount of the benefit or profit in money, property, or services actually received or (ii) to the extent that a judgment or other final adjudication adverse to the person is entered in a proceeding based on a finding in the proceeding that the persons action or failure to act was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and was material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding. It is the intent of this Article that the liability of directors and officers shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, as amended from time to time.
Any repeal or modification of the foregoing paragraph by the stockholders of the corporation shall not adversely affect any right or protection of a director or officer of the corporation existing at the time of such repeal or modification.
Article IV of BGEs By-Laws reads as follows:
Each person made or threatened to be made party to an action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director or officer of the
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Company, or, at its request, is or was a director or officer of another corporation, shall be indemnified by the Company (to the extent indemnification is not otherwise provided by insurance) against the liabilities, costs and expenses of every kind actually and reasonably incurred by him as a result of such action, suit or proceeding, or any threat thereof or any appeal thereon, but in each case only if and to the extent permissible under applicable common or statutory law, state or federal. The foregoing indemnity shall not be inclusive of other rights to which such person may be entitled.
The directors and officers of BGE are covered by insurance indemnifying them against certain liabilities which might be incurred by them in their capacities as such, including certain liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933. The premium for this insurance is paid by Constellation Energy with BGEs share of the premium being reimbursed by BGE.
Also, see indemnification provisions in the forms of Purchase Agreements referenced in the Exhibit Index.
| ITEM 16. | EXHIBITS. |
Reference is made to the Exhibit Index filed as a part of this Registration Statement.
| ITEM 17. | UNDERTAKINGS. |
(a) The undersigned Registrants hereby undertake:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement:
(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the Registration Statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the Calculation of Registration Fee table in the effective Registration Statement; and
(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the Registration Statement or any material change to such information in the Registration Statement;
provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Registrants pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the Registration Statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.
II-4
(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:
(A) Each prospectus filed by the Registrants pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the Registration Statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the Registration Statement; and
(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the Registration Statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the Registration Statement relating to the securities in the Registration Statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof,
provided, however, that no statement made in a Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the Registration Statement or prospectus that is part of the Registration Statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the Registration Statement or prospectus that was part of the Registration Statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.
(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the Registrants under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned Registrants undertake that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned Registrants pursuant to this Registration Statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned Registrants will be sellers to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:
(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned Registrants relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrants or used or referred to by the undersigned Registrants;
(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned Registrants or their securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned Registrants; and
(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned Registrants to the purchaser.
(b) The undersigned Registrants hereby undertake that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrants annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plans annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement shall be deemed to be a new Registration Statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(c) The undersigned registrants hereby undertake: (1) to use their best efforts to distribute prior to the opening of bids, to prospective bidders, underwriters, and dealers, a reasonable number of copies of a prospectus
II-5
which at that time meets the requirements of Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and relating to the securities offered at competitive bidding, as contained in the Registration Statement, together with any supplements thereto, and (2) to file an amendment to the Registration Statement reflecting the results of bidding, the terms of the reoffering and related matters to the extent required by the applicable form, not later than the first use, authorized by the issuer after the opening of bids, of a prospectus relating to the securities offered at competitive bidding, unless no further public offering of such securities by the issuer and no reoffering of such securities by the purchasers is proposed to be made.
(d) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrants pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrants have been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrants of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrants in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrants will, unless in the opinion of their counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by them is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
II-6
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Constellation Energy Group, Inc., a Registrant, certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Baltimore, State of Maryland on the 9th day of July, 2009.
| CONSTELLATION ENERGY GROUP, INC. (Registrant) | ||
|
By: |
/s/ Mayo A. Shattuck III | |
| Mayo A. Shattuck III | ||
|
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer |
||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
|
Signature |
Title |
Date |
||
|
Principal executive officer: |
||||
|
/s/ Mayo A. Shattuck III* Mayo A. Shattuck III |
Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer |
July 9, 2009 | ||
|
Principal financial officer: |
||||
|
/s/ Jonathan W. Thayer* Jonathan W. Thayer |
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
July 9, 2009 | ||
|
Principal accounting officer: |
||||
|
/s/ Reese K. Feuerman* Reese K. Feuerman |
Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer |
July 9, 2009 | ||
|
Directors: |
||||
|
/s/ Yves C. de Balmann* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| Yves C de Balmann | ||||
|
/s/ Ann C. Berzin* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| Ann C. Berzin | ||||
|
/s/ James T. Brady* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| James T. Brady | ||||
|
/s/ James R. Curtiss* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| James R. Curtiss | ||||
II-7
|
Signature |
Title |
Date |
||
|
/s/ Freeman A. Hrabowski, III* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| Freeman A. Hrabowski, III | ||||
|
/s/ Nancy Lampton* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| Nancy Lampton | ||||
|
/s/ Robert J. Lawless* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| Robert J. Lawless | ||||
|
/s/ Lynn M. Martin* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| Lynn M. Martin | ||||
|
/s/ John L. Skolds* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| John L. Skolds | ||||
|
/s/ Michael D. Sullivan* |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| Michael D. Sullivan | ||||
| * | By: | /s/ Charles A. Berardesco | ||
|
Charles A. Berardesco Attorney-in-Fact |
||||
II-8
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, a Registrant, certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Baltimore, State of Maryland on the 9th day of July, 2009.
| BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY (Registrant) | ||
|
By: |
/s/ Kenneth W. DeFontes, Jr. |
|
| Kenneth W. DeFontes, Jr. | ||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
|
Signature |
Title |
Date |
||
|
Principal executive officer: |
||||
|
/s/ Kenneth W. DeFontes, Jr.* Kenneth W. DeFontes, Jr. |
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| Principal financial and accounting officer: | ||||
|
/s/ Kevin W. Hadlock* Kevin W. Hadlock |
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
July 9, 2009 | ||
|
Directors: |
||||
|
/s/ Thomas F. Brady* Thomas F. Brady |
Chairman of the Board of Directors | July 9, 2009 | ||
|
/s/ Joseph L. Haskins* Joseph L. Haskins |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
|
/s/ Carla D. Hayden* Carla D. Hayden |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
|
/s/ Mayo A. Shattuck III* Mayo A. Shattuck III |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
|
/s/ Michael D. Sullivan* Michael D. Sullivan |
Director | July 9, 2009 | ||
| * | By: | /s/ Charles A. Berardesco | ||
|
Charles A. Berardesco Attorney-in-Fact |
||||
II-9
EXHIBIT INDEX
|
EXHIBIT
|
||||
| 1(a) | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Purchase Agreement, including Standard Purchase Provisions for Unsecured Debt Securities (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1(a) of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. filed July 24, 2006, Reg. No. 333-135991). | ||
| 1(b) | - | Form of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Purchase Agreement, including Standard Purchase Provisions for Unsecured Debt Securities (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1(b) of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company filed July 24, 2006, Reg. No. 333-135991-01). | ||
| 1(c)* | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Purchase Agreement, including Standard Purchase Provisions for Convertible Debt Securities. | ||
| 1(d)* | - | Form of Agency Agreement. | ||
| 1(e) | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Purchase Agreement, including Standard Purchase Provisions for Common Stock (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1(e) of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. filed July 24, 2006, Reg. No. 333-135991). | ||
| 1(f)* | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Purchase Agreement, including Standard Purchase Provisions for Preferred Stock. | ||
| 1(g)* | - | Form of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Purchase Agreement, including Standard Purchase Provisions for Preferred Stock. | ||
| 1(h)* | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Purchase Agreement, including Standard Purchase Provisions for Stock Purchase Contracts. | ||
| 1(i)* | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Purchase Agreement, including Standard Purchase Provisions for Units. | ||
| 1(j) | - | Form of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Purchase Agreement, including Standard Purchase Provisions for Senior Secured Bonds. | ||
| 3(a) | - | Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Charter of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as of April 30, 1999 (Incorporated by reference to Appendix B to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4 of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. filed March 3, 1999, Reg. No. 33-64799). | ||
| 3(b) | - | Articles Supplementary to the Charter of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as of July 19, 1999 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(a) to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 1999, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 3(c) | - | Certificate of Correction to the Charter of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as of September 13, 1999 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(c) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 3(d) | - | Articles Supplementary to the Charter of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as of November 20, 2001 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(e) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 3(e) | - | Articles Supplementary to the Charter of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as of April 10, 2007 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(a) to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated April 10, 2007, File No. 1-12869). | ||
E-1
|
EXHIBIT
|
||||
| 3(f) | - | Articles of Amendment to the Charter of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as of July 21, 2008 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(a) to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 3(g) | - | Articles Supplementary to the Charter of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as of September 19, 2008 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated September 19, 2008, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 3(h) | - | Certificate of Correction to Articles Supplementary to the Charter of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as of November 25, 2008 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(c) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 3(i) | - | Articles Supplementary to the Charter of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as of December 17, 2008 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated December 17, 2008, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 3(j) | - | Bylaws of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. as amended to July 18, 2008 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3 to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated July 18, 2008, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 3(k) | - | Charter of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, restated as of August 16, 1996 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 1996, File No. 1-1910). | ||
| 3(l) | - | Bylaws of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company as amended to October 16, 1998 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 1998, File No. 1-1910). | ||
| 4(a) | - | Indenture dated as of July 24, 2006 between Constellation Energy Group, Inc. and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as trustee (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(a) of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. filed July 24, 2006, Reg. No. 333-135991). | ||
| 4(b) | - | First Supplemental Indenture between Constellation Energy Group, Inc. and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as trustee, dated as of June 27, 2008 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(a) to the Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 30, 2008, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 4(c) | - | Indenture dated as of July 24, 2006, between Baltimore Gas and Electric Company and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as trustee (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(b) of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company filed July 24, 2006, Reg. No. 333-135991-01). | ||
| 4(d) | - | First Supplemental Indenture between Baltimore Gas and Electric Company and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as trustee, dated as of October 13, 2006 (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(a) to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2006, File No. 1-1910). | ||
| 4(e) | - | Indenture dated as of June 19, 2008 between Constellation Energy Group, Inc. and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as trustee (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(a) to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2008, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 4(f) | - | Common Stock certificate (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(c) of the Registration Statement on Form S-3 of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. filed March 25, 1999, Reg. Nos. 333-59601 and 33-57658). | ||
| 4(g)* | - | Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Preferred Stock certificate. | ||
E-2
|
EXHIBIT
|
||||
| 4(h)* | - | Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Preferred Stock certificate. | ||
| 4(i)* | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Warrant Agreement. | ||
| 4(j) | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Unsecured Debt Security (Fixed Rate) (Included in Exhibits 4(a) and 4(e)). | ||
| 4(k) | - | Form of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Unsecured Debt Security (Fixed Rate) (Included in Exhibit 4(c)). | ||
| 4(l) | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Unsecured Debt Security (Floating Rate) (Included in Exhibits 4(a) and 4(e)). | ||
| 4(m) | - | Form of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Unsecured Debt Security (Floating Rate) (Included in Exhibit 4(c)). | ||
| 4(n)* | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Interest Calculation Agency Agreement. | ||
| 4(o)* | - | Form of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Interest Calculation Agency Agreement. | ||
| 4(p)* | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Stock Purchase Contract, including form of security certificate. | ||
| 4(q)* | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Unit Agreement, including form of security certificate. | ||
| 4(r)* | - | Form of Pledge Agreement. | ||
| 4(s)* | - | Form of Remarketing Agreement. | ||
| 4(t)* | - | Form of Constellation Energy Group, Inc. Convertible Debt Security. | ||
| 4(u) | - | Indenture and Security Agreement dated as of July 9, 2009, between Baltimore Gas and Electric Company and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as trustee. | ||
| 4(u)(1) | - | Form of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Officers Certificate (including form of Senior Secured Bond). | ||
| 4(u)(2) | - | Deed of Easement and Right-of-Way Grant dated as of July 9, 2009. | ||
| 5(a)** | - | Opinion of Company Counsel dated March 2, 2009. | ||
| 5(a)(1) | - | Opinion of Company Counsel dated July 9, 2009. | ||
| 5(b)** | - | Opinion of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York, New York, dated March 2, 2009. | ||
| 5(b)(1) | - | Opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, New York, New York, dated July 9, 2009. | ||
| 12(a) | - | Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges for Constellation Energy Group, Inc. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 12(a) to Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, File No. 1-12869, and Exhibit 12(a) to Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, File No. 1-12869). | ||
| 12(b) | - | Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred and Preference Dividend Requirements for Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 12(b) to the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, File No. 1-1910 and Exhibit 12(a) to Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2009, File No. 1-1910). | ||
| 23(a) | - | Consent of Company Counsel dated March 2, 2009 (included in Exhibit 5(a)). | ||
E-3
|
EXHIBIT
|
||||
| 23(a)(1) | - | Consent of Company Counsel dated July 9, 2009 (included in Exhibit 5(a)(1)). | ||
| 23(b) | - | Consent of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York, New York, dated March 2, 2009 (included in Exhibit 5(b)). | ||
| 23(b)(1) | - | Consent of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, New York, New York, dated July 9, 2009 (included in Exhibit 5(b)(1)). | ||
| 23(c) | - | Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, dated July 9, 2009. | ||
| 24*** | - | Powers of Attorney. | ||
| 25(a)** | - | Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (Form T-1) of Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Trustee. | ||
| 25(b) | - | Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (Form T-1) of Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Trustee under the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Indenture and Security Agreement. | ||
| 26* | - | Invitation for Competitive Bids. | ||
| * | To be filed by amendment or as an exhibit to a document to be incorporated by reference herein in connection with an offering of the securities. |
| ** | Filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-157637 and 333-157637-01), filed with the SEC on March 2, 2009. |
| *** | Included in signature pages to the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-157637 and 333-157637-01), filed with the SEC on March 2, 2009. |
E-4
Exhibit 1(j)
BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
Senior Secured Bonds
PURCHASE AGREEMENT
,
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
2 Center Plaza
110 West Fayette Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Referring to the Senior Secured Bonds of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (the Company) covered by the registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333- ) (such registration statement, as amended, including (i) the prospectus included therein (the Base Prospectus), and (ii) all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein are hereinafter collectively called the Registration Statement). The Base Prospectus as supplemented by (i) the prospectus supplement dated specifically relating to the Purchased Bonds (as defined below) in the form first filed under Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), (or in the form first made available to the Purchasers (as defined below) by the Company to meet the requests of purchasers pursuant to Rule 173 under the Securities Act) and (ii) all documents filed as part thereof or incorporated by reference therein are hereinafter collectively called the Prospectus, and the preliminary form of the Prospectus is hereinafter called the Preliminary Prospectus. For purposes of this Agreement, free writing prospectus has the meaning set forth in Rule 405 under the Securities Act and Time of Sale Prospectus means the Preliminary Prospectus together with each free writing prospectus, if any, identified in Schedule B hereto.
On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement, but subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the purchaser or purchasers named in Schedule A hereto (the Purchasers) agree to purchase, severally and not jointly, and the Company agrees to sell to the Purchasers, severally, the respective principal amounts of the Companys % Senior Secured Bonds due having the terms described below (the Purchased Bonds) set forth opposite the name of each Purchaser on Schedule A hereto. The undersigned Purchasers shall hereinafter be referred to as the Representatives.
The time and date of such delivery and payment shall be a.m., New York time, on , or such other time and date as the Representatives and the Company may agree upon in writing. Such time and date are herein called the Closing Date.
The price at which the Purchased Bonds shall be purchased from the Company by the Purchasers shall be % of the principal amount plus accrued interest, if any, from to the Closing Date. The initial public offering price shall be % of the principal amount plus accrued interest, if any, from the Closing Date. The Purchased Bonds will be offered by the Purchasers as set forth in the Prospectus relating to such Purchased Bonds.
The Purchased Bonds will have the following terms:
|
Issuer: |
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company | |
|
Designation: |
% Senior Secured Bonds due | |
|
Legal Format: |
SEC Registered | |
|
Principal Amount: |
$ | |
|
Denominations: |
$ and integral multiples thereof | |
|
Maturity: |
||
|
Interest: |
% | |
|
Underwriting Discount: |
$ | |
|
Net Proceeds to Issuer: |
$ | |
|
Underwriting Commissions: |
$ | |
|
Public Offering Price: |
$ | |
|
Trade Date: |
||
|
Settlement Date: |
||
|
Redemption: |
||
|
Underwriters: |
||
|
CUSIP / ISIN Number: |
||
|
Expected Security Ratings: |
||
The place to which the
Purchased Bonds may be
checked, packaged and
delivered shall be:
2
Notices to the Purchasers shall be sent to the following address(es) or telecopier number(s):
With a copy to:
If any purchaser(s) is/are acting as Representative(s) for the several Purchasers named in Schedule A hereto, they represent that they are authorized to act for such several Purchasers in connection with the transactions contemplated in this Agreement, and that, if there are more than one Purchaser acting as Representative, any action under this Agreement taken by any of them will be binding upon all the Purchasers.
All of the provisions contained in the document entitled Baltimore Gas and Electric Company Standard Purchase Provisions, a copy of which has been previously furnished to the Representatives, are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety and shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein.
3
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to us the enclosed duplicate hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement between the Company and the several Purchasers in accordance with its terms.
| Very truly yours, | ||
|
[Purchasers Name] |
||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
|
Acting on behalf of and as Representative(s) of the several Purchasers named in Schedule A hereto, |
||
|
The foregoing Purchase Agreement is hereby confirmed as of the date first above written |
||
|
BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY |
||
| By: | ||
| Name: | ||
| Title: | ||
4
SCHEDULE A
|
Name of Purchaser |
Amount |
|||
|
[ ] |
[$ ] | |||
|
Total: |
$ | |||
5
SCHEDULE B
Free Writing Prospectus
PRICING TERM SHEET
$
% Senior Secured Bonds due
|
Issuer: |
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company | |
|
Designation: |
% Senior Secured Bonds due | |
|
Legal Format: |
SEC Registered | |
|
Principal Amount: |
$ | |
|
Denominations: |
$ and integral multiples thereof | |
|
Maturity: |
||
|
Interest: |
% | |
|
Underwriting Discount: |
$ | |
|
Net Proceeds to Issuer: |
$ | |
|
Underwriting Commissions: |
$ | |
|
Public Offering Price: |
$ | |
|
Trade Date: |
||
|
Settlement Date: |
||
|
Redemption: |
||
|
Underwriters: |
||
|
Co-Managers: |
||
|
CUSIP / ISIN Number: |
||
|
Expected Security Ratings: |
Note: A securities rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time.
The issuer has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC Web site at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, the issuer, any underwriter or any dealer participating in the offering will arrange to send you the prospectus if you request it by calling toll free at , toll free at or toll free at .
[include additional free writing prospectuses, if any]
BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
STANDARD PURCHASE PROVISIONS
From time to time, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, a Maryland corporation (Company), may enter into purchase agreements that provide for the sale of designated securities to the purchaser or purchasers named therein. The standard provisions set forth herein may be incorporated by reference in any such purchase agreement (Purchase Agreement). The Purchase Agreement, including the provisions incorporated therein by reference, is herein sometimes referred to as this Agreement. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Purchase Agreement are used herein as therein defined.
1. Introductory . The Company proposes to issue and sell from time to time its Senior Secured Bonds (Bonds) registered under the registration statement referred to in Section 2(a). The Bonds will be issued under an Indenture and Security Agreement, dated as of July 9, 2009, between the Company and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as trustee (Trustee) (said Indenture and Security Agreement, including the officers certificate establishing the terms of the Purchased Bonds, is hereinafter referred to as the Indenture). The Bonds will be sold to the Purchasers (as defined below) for resale in accordance with the terms of the offering determined at the time of the sale. The Bonds involved in any such offering are hereinafter referred to as the Purchased Bonds, and the firm or firms, as the case may be, which agree to purchase the same are hereinafter referred to as the Purchasers of such Purchased Bonds. The terms you and your refer to those Purchasers who sign the Purchase Agreement either on behalf of themselves only or on behalf of themselves and as representatives of the several Purchasers named in Schedule A thereto, as the case may be.
2. Representations and Warranties of the Company . The Company represents and warrants to and agrees with each Purchaser that:
(a) A Registration Statement (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) covering an indeterminate amount of certain securities of the Companys parent, Constellation Energy Group, Inc. (Constellation) and of the unsecured debt securities and preferred stock of the Company, including a prospectus, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission) and became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e) (Rule 462(e)) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), on , , and a post-effective amendment thereto to register senior secured bonds of the Company became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e) on , ; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted, or, to the knowledge of the Company, are pending before or threatened by the Commission. At each of (A) the time of filing the Registration Statement, (B) the time of the most recent amendment thereto for the purposes of complying with Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act (whether such amendment was by post-effective amendment, incorporated report filed pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), or form of prospectus), (C) the time the Company or any person acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c) under the Securities Act) made any offer relating to the Bonds in reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 under the Securities Act and (D) the date hereof, each of the Company and Constellation is a well-known seasoned issuer (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) eligible to use the Registration Statement as an
automatic shelf registration statement (as defined in Rule 405 under the Securities Act) and neither the Company nor Constellation has received notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) under the Securities Act that the Commission objects to the use of the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement, which notice has not been removed.
(b) Neither the Company nor Constellation is an ineligible issuer in connection with the offering pursuant to Rules 164, 405 and 433 under the Securities Act. Any free writing prospectus with respect to the Purchased Bonds that the Company is required to file pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act has been, or will be, filed with the Commission in accordance with the requirements of the Securities Act and the pertinent published rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (Securities Act Rules and Regulations). Each free writing prospectus with respect to the Purchased Bonds that the Company has filed, or is required to file, pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act or that was prepared by or on behalf of or used or referred to by the Company complies or will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Rules and Regulations and did not and does not conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus. Except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule B to the Purchase Agreement, the Company has not prepared, used or referred to, and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to, any free writing prospectus with respect to the Purchased Bonds.
(c) At the respective times the Registration Statement and each amendment thereto became effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Purchasers pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) under the Securities Act and at the Closing Date, the Registration Statement conforms and will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Rules and Regulations and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (Trust Indenture Act), and the pertinent published rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (Trust Indenture Act Rules and Regulations) and does not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except that the foregoing does not apply to statements or omissions in such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Purchaser specifically for use therein. The Time of Sale Prospectus does not, and at Time of Sale (as defined below) and at the Closing Date, the Time of Sale Prospectus, did not and will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the foregoing does not apply to statements or omissions in such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Purchaser specifically for use therein. Time of Sale means on the date hereof. Neither the Prospectus nor any amendments or supplements thereto, at the time the Prospectus or any such amendment or supplement was issued and at the Closing Date, included or will include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the foregoing does not apply to statements or omissions in such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Purchaser specifically for use therein. The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 of the Securities Act, at the time they were filed
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with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the pertinent published rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder (Exchange Act Rules and Regulations).
(d) The financial statements included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly the financial position of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries taken as a whole at the dates indicated and the statements of income and cash flows of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries taken as a whole for the periods specified; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods involved, except as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
(e) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(f) The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, as of the Closing Date, will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act.
(g) The Deed of Easement and Right-of-Way Grant, dated as of July 9, 2009 (Easement), by and between the Company and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, its permitted successors and assigns, has been duly authorized by the Company and, as of the Closing Date, will be duly executed and delivered by the Company and will constitute a valid and binding agreement of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
(h) The Purchased Bonds have been duly authorized and, at the Closing Date, will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated, issued and delivered in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment of the purchase price therefor as provided in this Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except as the enforcement thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium or similar laws affecting enforcement of creditors rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture.
(i) The Purchased Bonds will conform in all material respects to the description thereof contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
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(j) The Company is not (i) in violation of its articles of incorporation or by-laws, (ii) to the best knowledge of the Company, after due inquiry, other than as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, in violation of any law, ordinance, administrative or governmental rule or regulation applicable to the Company, the violation of which would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the business, properties or financial condition of the Company and its subsidiaries taken as a whole (a Material Adverse Effect), or of any decree of any court or governmental agency or body having jurisdiction over the Company, or (iii) in default in the performance or observance of any obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, loan agreement, lease or other agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it or any of its properties may be bound, which default would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(k) Other than as set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, there are no legal or governmental proceedings pending to which the Company is a party or of which any property of the Company is the subject that, if determined adversely to the Company, would individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and, to the Companys knowledge, no such proceedings are threatened by governmental authorities or others.
(l) No filing with, or authorization, approval, consent, license, order, registration, qualification or decree of, any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary or required for the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder, in connection with the offering, issuance or sale of the Purchased Bonds hereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or for the due execution, delivery or performance of the Indenture or the Easement by the Company, except such as have been already obtained or as may be required under the Securities Act or the Securities Act Rules and Regulations or state securities laws or the Exchange Act or the Exchange Act Rules and Regulations and except for the qualification of the Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act.
(m) The Company maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (1) transactions are executed in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; (2) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets; (3) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with managements general or specific authorization; and (4) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
3. Delivery and Payment . The Company will deliver the Purchased Bonds to you for the accounts of the Purchasers, at the place specified in the Purchase Agreement against payment of the purchase price by wire transfer to an account specified by the Company, at the time set forth in this Agreement on the Closing Date. The Purchased Bonds to be delivered will be in definitive fully registered form registered in such denominations, of $1,000 or multiples thereof, and in such names as you request in writing not later than 3:00 p.m., New York time, on the third business day prior to the Closing Date, or, if no such request is received, in the names of the respective Purchasers in the amounts agreed to be purchased by them pursuant to this Agreement. The Company shall make the Purchased Bonds available for checking and packaging at the place specified in the Purchase Agreement prior to the Closing Date and, unless
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prevented from doing so by circumstances beyond its control, not later than 2:00 p.m., New York time, on the business day next preceding the Closing Date. If you request that any Purchased Bonds be issued in a name or names other than that of the Purchaser agreeing to purchase such Purchased Bonds hereunder, the Company shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes resulting therefrom. The Purchased Bonds may also be represented by a permanent global Bond or Bonds, registered in the name of The Depository Trust Company, as depositary (the Depositary), or a nominee of the Depositary (each such Bond represented by a permanent global Bond being referred to herein as a Book-Entry Bond). Beneficial interests in Book-Entry Bonds will only be evidenced by, and transfers thereof will only be effected through, records maintained by the Depositarys participants.
4. Offering by the Purchasers . The several Purchasers propose to offer the Purchased Bonds for sale to the public as set forth in the Prospectus.
5. Covenants of the Company . The Company covenants and agrees with the several Purchasers that:
(a) Subject to Section 5(k), prior to the termination of the offering of the Purchased Bonds, it will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B under the Securities Act and will notify the Representative(s) immediately, and confirm the notice in writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Purchased Bonds shall become effective, (ii) of the receipt of any comments from the Commission, (iii) of any request by the Commission for any amendment to the Registration Statement or the filing of a new registration statement relating to the Purchased Bonds or any amendment or supplement to the Prospectus or any document incorporated by reference therein or otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or for additional information, (iv) of the issuance by the Commission of any stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement or such new registration statement or of any order preventing or suspending the use of any Preliminary Prospectus, or of the suspension of the qualification of the Purchased Bonds for offering or sale in any jurisdiction, or of the initiation or threatening of any proceedings for any of such purposes or of any examination pursuant to Section 8(e) of the Securities Act concerning the Registration Statement and (v) if the Company becomes the subject of a proceeding under Section 8A of the Securities Act in connection with the offering of the Purchased Bonds. The Company will promptly cause the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus to be filed with the Commission as required by Rule 424 under the Securities Act. The Company will make every reasonable effort to prevent the issuance of any stop order and, if any stop order is issued, to obtain the lifting thereof at the earliest possible moment. The Company shall pay the required Commission filing fees relating to the Purchased Bonds within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) under the Securities Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act (including, if applicable, by updating the Calculation of Registration Fee table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)).
(b) The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representative(s), and each Purchaser represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representative(s), it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Purchased Bonds that would constitute an issuer free writing
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prospectus, as defined in Rule 433 (Issuer Free Writing Prospectus), or that would otherwise constitute a free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission, except for the free writing prospectuses, if any, identified in Schedule B to the Purchase Agreement. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representative(s) is hereinafter referred to as a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus. The Company represents that it has treated or agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an issuer free writing prospectus, as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rule 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely filing with the Commission where required, legending and record keeping.
(c) The Company will not take any action that would result in a Purchaser or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) under the Securities Act a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of a Purchaser that otherwise would not have been required to be filed thereunder.
(d) For as long as a prospectus relating to the Purchased Bonds is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, if any event relating to or affecting the Company or of which the Company shall be advised in writing by the Purchasers shall occur which, in the opinion of counsel to the Purchasers or the Company, should be set forth in a supplement or amendment to the Time of Sale Prospectus in order either to make the Time of Sale Prospectus comply with the requirements of the Securities Act or which would require the making of any change in the Time of Sale Prospectus so that as thereafter delivered to purchasers such Time of Sale Prospectus will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it shall be necessary, in the opinion of such counsel, at any such time to amend the Registration Statement or to file a new registration statement or amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to comply with the requirements of the Securities Act or the Securities Act Rules and Regulations, the Company will promptly notify the Representative(s) and amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus, subject to Section 5(k) below, by either (i) preparing and filing with the Commission supplement(s) or amendment(s) to the Time of Sale Prospectus, or (ii) making an appropriate filing pursuant to the Exchange Act, which will supplement or amend the Time of Sale Prospectus so that, as supplemented or amended, the Time of Sale Prospectus when the Time of Sale Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser will comply with the Securities Act and will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. If the Prospectus is available to prospective purchasers, the Company may make any amendments or supplements contemplated by the preceding sentence to the Prospectus rather than the Time of Sale Prospectus. If it shall be necessary to amend the Registration Statement or to file a new registration statement, the Company will use its commercially reasonable best efforts to have such amendment or new registration statement declared effective as soon as practicable (if it is not an automatic shelf registration statement with respect to the Purchased Bonds). The Company will furnish to the Purchasers such number of copies of such amendment, supplement or new registration statement as the Purchasers may reasonably request. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, and prior to the completion of the offering of the Purchased Bonds, there occurred or occurs
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an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information contained in the Registration Statement (or any other registration statement relating to the Purchased Bonds), the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus or any Preliminary Prospectus or included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances prevailing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representative(s) and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.
(e) The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than eighteen months after the effective date of the Registration Statement (as defined in Rule 158(c) under the Securities Act), an earnings statement of the Company and its subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Rules and Regulations (including, at the option of the Company, Rule 158).
(f) The Company will furnish to you and to counsel to the Purchasers, without charge, copies of the following documents, in each case as soon as available after filing and in such quantities as you reasonably request (i) the Registration Statement relating to the Purchased Bonds as originally filed and all pre-effective amendments thereto (at least one of which will be signed and will include all exhibits except those incorporated by reference to previous filings with the Commission); (ii) each prospectus relating to the Purchased Bonds; and (iii) during the time when a prospectus relating to the Purchased Bonds is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, all post-effective amendments and supplements to the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, respectively (except supplements relating to securities that are not Purchased Bonds).
(g) The Company will take such action as the Purchasers may reasonably request to obtain the qualification of the Purchased Bonds for sale and the determination of their eligibility for investment under the laws of such jurisdictions as you may reasonably designate and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Purchased Bonds, provided, however, that the Company shall not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file any consent to service of process under the laws of any jurisdiction or to comply with any other requirements deemed by the Company to be unduly burdensome.
(h) Until the completion of the distribution of the Purchased Bonds, the Company will upon request, furnish to you, and to each of the other Purchasers (unless such reports are available electronically on the Commissions website or the Companys website): (i) as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to shareholders for such year, (ii) as soon as available, a copy of each report or definitive proxy statement of the Company filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to shareholders, and (iii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as you may reasonably request.
(i) The Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including (A) the preparation, printing and filing of the Registration Statement (including financial statements and exhibits) as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (B) the preparation, printing and delivery to the Purchasers of this
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Agreement, the Indenture and such other documents as may be required in connection with the offering, purchase, sale, issuance or delivery of the Purchased Bonds, (C) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificates for the Purchased Bonds to the Purchasers, (D) the fees and disbursements of the Companys counsel, accountants and other advisors, (E) the qualification of the Purchased Bonds under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 5(g) hereof, including filing fees, the printing and delivery to Purchasers of copies of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplements thereto and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Purchasers (such reasonable fees of counsel not to exceed $6,000) in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of the Blue Sky Survey and any supplement thereto, (F) the printing and delivery to the Purchasers of copies of each Preliminary Prospectus, any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and the Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (G) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Purchased Bonds, and (H) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Purchased Bonds. If this Agreement is terminated by the Representative(s) in accordance with the provisions of Section 7 hereof, the Company shall reimburse the Purchasers for (y) the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Purchasers and (z) their other out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, not in excess, however of an aggregate of $5,000 for such out-of-pocket expenses.
(j) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, issue, offer, sell or contract to sell, grant any option for the sale of or otherwise transfer or dispose of, any of its other debt securities which are substantially similar to the Purchased Bonds prior to ten business days after the Closing Date, without the consent of the Purchasers.
(k) Prior to the termination of the offering of the Purchased Bonds, the Company will give the Representative(s) notice of its intention to file or prepare any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement relating to the Purchased Bonds or any amendment, supplement or revision to either any Preliminary Prospectus (including any prospectus included in the Registration Statement or amendment thereto at the time it became effective) or to the Prospectus, whether pursuant to the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or otherwise, and the Company will furnish the Representative(s) with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or use, as the case may be, and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative(s) or counsel for the Purchasers shall reasonably object. The Company will give the Representative(s) notice of its intention to make any such filing from the Time of Sale to the Closing Date and will furnish the Representative(s) with copies of any such documents a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not file or use any such document to which the Representative(s) or counsel for the Purchasers shall reasonably object. The Company will prepare a final term sheet relating to the offering of the Purchased Bonds, containing only information that describes the final terms of the Purchased Bonds or the offering in a form reasonably consented to by the Purchasers, and to file such final term sheet within the period required by Rule 433(d)(5)(ii) under the Securities Act following the date the final terms have been established for the offering of the Purchased Bonds.
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6. Covenants of the Purchasers . Each Purchaser severally covenants with the Company not to take any action that would result in the Purchaser or the Company being required to file with the Commission pursuant to Rule 433(d) a free writing prospectus prepared by or on behalf of such Purchaser that otherwise would not be required to be filed by the Purchaser or the Company thereunder, but for the action of the Purchaser.
7. Conditions of the Obligations of the Purchasers . The obligations of the several Purchasers to purchase and pay for the Purchased Bonds will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company herein as of the date hereof, as of the Time of Sale and as of the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of Company officers made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:
(a) On the date of execution of this Agreement and on the Closing Date, you shall have received a letter or letters (which may refer to letters previously delivered to you) of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP dated the respective dates of delivery thereof, confirming that they are an independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Rules and Regulations, and stating in effect that:
(i) In their opinion, the consolidated financial statements and supporting schedules audited by them which are included in the Companys Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended (Form 10-K), which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement comply in form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Rules and Regulations and the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Rules and Regulations;
(ii) On the basis of procedures specified in such letter (but not an audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards), including reading the minutes of meetings of the shareholders, the Board of Directors of the Company since the end of the year covered by the Form 10-K as set forth in the minute books through a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of such letter, performing procedures specified in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100, Interim Financial Information, on the unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, if any, and reading the latest available unaudited interim consolidated financial statements of the Company, and making inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for financial and accounting matters as to whether the latest available financial statements not incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement are prepared on a basis substantially consistent with that of the audited consolidated financial statements incorporated in the Registration Statement, nothing has come to their attention that has caused them to believe that (1) any unaudited consolidated financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement with respect to the Company do not comply in form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Rules and Regulations and the Exchange Act and the Exchange Act Rules and Regulations or any material modifications should be made to those unaudited consolidated financial statements for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles; (2) at the date of the latest available balance sheet not incorporated by reference in the
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Registration Statement there was any change in the capital stock, change in long-term debt or decrease in consolidated net assets or common shareholders equity as compared with the amounts shown in the latest balance sheet incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or for the period from the closing date of the latest income statement incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement to the closing date of the latest available income statement read by them there were any decreases, as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, in operating revenues, operating income, net income, or in earnings per share of common stock except in all instances for changes or decreases that the Registration Statement discloses have occurred or may occur, or which are described in such letter; or (3) at a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of such letter, there was any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or, at such date, there was any decrease in net assets of the Company as compared with amounts shown in the latest balance sheet incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, or for the period from the closing date of the latest income statement incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement to a specified date not more than three business days prior to the date of such letter, there were any decreases as compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, in operating revenues, operating income, net income or in earnings applicable to common stock, except in all cases for changes or decreases which the Registration Statement discloses have occurred or may occur, or which are described in such letter; and
(iii) Certain specified procedures have been applied to certain financial or other statistical information (to the extent such information was obtained from the general accounting records of the Company) set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and that such procedures have not revealed any disagreement between the financial and statistical information so set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the underlying general accounting records of the Company, except as described in such letter.
(b) Prior to the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued, no proceedings for such purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or you, are pending before or threatened by the Commission and the Company has not received a notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement. A prospectus containing the Rule 430B information shall have been filed with the Commission in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b) without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8) (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and become effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430B). The Company shall have paid the required Commission filing fees relating to the Purchased Bonds within the time period required by Rule 456(1)(i) under the Securities Act without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act and, if applicable, shall have updated the Calculation of Registration Fee table in accordance with Rule 456(b)(1)(ii) either in a post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or on the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b).
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(c) Subsequent to the date of this Agreement, (i) there shall not have occurred any change or any development involving a prospective change not contemplated by the Time of Sale Prospectus as of Time of Sale in or affecting particularly the business, properties or financial condition of the Company which, in the judgment of a majority in interest of the Purchasers, materially impairs the investment quality of the Purchased Bonds, (ii) the Purchased Bonds shall be rated at least by Moodys Investors Service Inc., by Standard & Poors Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and by Fitch Ratings, and the Company shall have delivered to the Representative(s) a letter dated no earlier than the business day prior to the Closing Date, from each such rating agency, or other evidence satisfactory to the Representative(s), confirming that the Purchased Bonds have such ratings; and no rating of any of the Companys debt securities shall have been lowered by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, as that term is defined by the Commission for purposes of Rule 436(g) or no such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of the Companys debt securities, unless such surveillance or review has been publicly announced prior to the date of this Agreement and (iii) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange shall not have been suspended nor limited, other than a temporary suspension in trading to provide for an orderly market, nor shall minimum prices have been established on such Exchange, a banking moratorium shall not have been declared either by New York State or Federal authorities and there shall not have occurred an outbreak or escalation of major hostilities in which the United States is involved or other substantial national or international calamity or crisis (including one caused by a terrorist act), the effect of which on the financial markets of the United States is such as to make it, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, impracticable to market the Purchased Bonds.
(d) You shall have received an opinion, dated the Closing Date, of a counsel for the Company, with such changes as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Purchasers, substantially to the effect that:
(i) The Company has been duly incorporated or formed, and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland, with corporate power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions in which the conduct of its business or the ownership of its properties requires such qualification and the failure to do so would have a material and adverse impact on its financial condition;
(ii) The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and is a valid instrument, legally binding on the Company and enforceable in accordance with its terms, except as limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium, or other laws affecting the enforcement of creditors rights generally and except as enforcement thereof is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law);
(iii) The issuance and sale of the Purchased Bonds have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company. The Purchased Bonds (assuming
11
that they have been duly authenticated by the Trustee or a duly designated Authenticating Agent under the Indenture, which fact counsel need not verify by an inspection of the Purchased Bonds), have been duly issued and constitute legal, valid, and binding obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, and are entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture except as such enforceability or entitlement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency (including, without limitation, all laws relating to fraudulent transfers), reorganization, moratorium, or other laws affecting the enforcement of creditors rights generally and except as enforcement thereof or entitlement is subject to general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement or entitlement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law);
(iv) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act and, (a) to the best of such counsels knowledge, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued, and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted or are pending before or, to the best of such counsels knowledge, threatened by the Commission under the Securities Act; (b) the Registration Statement (as of its effective date), the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (as of the date of the Purchase Agreement) and any amendments or supplements thereto, as of their respective dates, appeared to comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of Form S-3 under the Securities Act and the Securities Act Rules and Regulations and the Trust Indenture Act, to the extent applicable; (c) the descriptions in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus of statutes, legal and governmental proceedings and contracts and other documents are accurate and fairly present the information required to be shown; and (d) such counsel does not know of any legal or governmental proceedings required to be described in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus which are not described as required, or of any contracts or documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which are not described or filed as required; it being understood that such counsel, in addressing the matters covered in this paragraph (iv) need express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial and statistical information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or incorporated therein or attached as an exhibit thereto or as to the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-l of the Trustee under the Indenture;
(v) Counsel knows of no approval of any regulatory authority which is legally required (other than those which have been already obtained) for the valid offering, issuance, sale and delivery of the Purchased Bonds by the Company under this Agreement (except that such opinion need not pass upon the requirements of state securities acts);
(vi) To the best of such counsels knowledge and belief, the consummation of the transactions contemplated in this Agreement and the compliance by the Company with all the terms of the Indenture did not and will not result in a breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, the Companys Charter or By-Laws or any indenture, mortgage or deed of trust or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party, except, other than with respect to its Charter or By-Laws, where such breach or default would not have a Material Adverse Effect;
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(vii) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company;
(viii) The Indenture is duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; and
(ix) The statements set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus under the captions Description of the Senior Secured Bonds and insofar as they purport to constitute a summary of the terms of the Indenture and the Purchased Bonds, are accurate and fair summaries of the matters set forth therein in all material respects.
In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in conferences with officers, other counsel for the Company and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company and representatives of the Purchasers at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and related matters were discussed; and, although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (except as to the matters referred to in his opinion rendered pursuant to subheading (ix) above), on the basis of the foregoing, no facts have come to the attention of such counsel which lead such counsel to believe that (a) on the date of this Agreement, the Registration Statement contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements contained therein not misleading, (b) as of the Time of Sale, the Time of Sale Prospectus contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (c) as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus, and any subsequent amendments or supplements thereto, as of their respective dates, and as of the Closing Date, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (it being understood that such counsel need make no comment with respect to the financial statements and other financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or incorporated therein or as to the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-l of the Trustee under the Indenture).
In rendering such opinion, such counsel may rely, as to all matters governed by the laws of the State of New York, upon the opinion of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP referred to below.
(e) The Purchasers shall have received from Miles & Stockbridge P.C., counsel for the Company, an opinion dated the Closing Date with such changes as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Purchasers, substantially to the effect:
(i) The Company is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Maryland. The Company has the
13
corporate power to enter into and to perform its obligations under the Agreement, the Purchased Bonds, the Indenture and the Easement, and to own its properties and conduct its business in the State of Maryland as its properties and business are described in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus.
(ii) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of each of the Agreement, the Purchased Bonds, the Indenture and the Easement have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action on the part of the Company. Each of the Agreement, the Indenture, the Easement and, assuming due authentication by the Trustee, the Securities has been validly executed and delivered by the Company.
(iii) The Easement constitutes a valid and binding instrument of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, reorganization or other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting a grantees rights and by general equitable principles (whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), and (ii) concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.
(iv) The choice of New York law to govern the Indenture, to the extent set forth therein, is a valid and effective choice of law under the laws of the State of Maryland, and, in a properly presented case, a Maryland court and a federal court sitting in the State of Maryland and applying Maryland choice of law principles would recognize and enforce the choice of New York law to govern the Indenture, to the extent set forth therein. To the extent that a Maryland court or a federal court sitting in the State of Maryland and applying Maryland law were to hold that the Indenture is to be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, the Indenture would constitute, under the laws of the State of Maryland, a valid and binding obligation of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as enforceability may be limited by (i) applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium, reorganization or other laws of general applicability relating to or affecting a grantees rights and by general equitable principles (whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law), (ii) the extent that the laws of Maryland, where the property covered thereby is located, may limit or deny certain remedial provisions of the Indenture, which laws do not in our opinion make inadequate the provisions and remedies necessary for the realization of the benefits afforded by the Indenture, and (iii) concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing and the discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be brought.
(v) The Financing Statement has been duly filed among the financing statement records of the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland. The security interest arising under the Indenture in that portion of the Collateral described in the First Granting Clause of the Indenture (excluding any Excepted Property) in which a security interest may be perfected by the filing of a financing statement under the Maryland Uniform Commercial Code (the Maryland Filing Collateral) is perfected by the filing of the Financing Statement. The Maryland
14
Uniform Commercial Code (the Maryland UCC) currently provides at Section 9-515(f) that the Financing Statement is effective until terminated. No renewal, refiling, or continuation of the Financing Statement is required to continue the effectiveness of the Financing Statement or to perfect such security interest.
(vi) Subject to the Permitted Liens as defined in the Indenture, the Financing Statement is a first priority filing with respect to the Maryland Filing Collateral.
(vii) The Easement has been duly recorded and is effective as a conveyance of an interest in real property in accordance with its terms in each of the Jurisdictions against third parties (including third parties who may hereafter acquire or otherwise receive an interest in the real property interests of the Company covered by the Easement), subject to all applicable liens, exceptions, defects, qualifications and other matters of record at the time of recording of the Easement.
(viii) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement, the Indenture and the Easement, including the issuance and sale by the Company of the Securities, will not violate any provision of the Charter or the Bylaws.
(ix) The statements made in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Final Prospectus under the captions Description of the BondsSecurity; Lien of the Indenture and Description of the BondsGrant of Easement and Right-of-Way, insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of the documents the Indenture and the Easement, or of the benefits purported to be afforded by such documents (including, without limitation, the benefits of the security afforded by the Indenture and of the Easement), constitute accurate summaries of the terms of such documents and of such benefits in all material respects.
(f) The Purchasers shall have received from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, counsel for the Company, an opinion dated the Closing Date, with such changes as may be agreed upon the by Company and the Purchasers, with respect to the matters referred to in Section 7(d) subheadings (ii), (iii), (iv)(a), (iv)(b), (viii) and (ix).
In rendering such opinion, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP may rely, as to the incorporation of the Company and all other matters governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, upon the opinion of counsel for the Company referred to in Section 7(d) above.
In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in conferences with officers, other counsel for the Company and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company and representatives of the Purchasers at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and related matters were discussed; and, although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (except as to the matters referred to in their opinion rendered pursuant to subheading (ix) above), on the basis of the foregoing, no facts have come to the attention of such counsel which lead such counsel to believe that (a) on the date of this Agreement, the Registration Statement contained an untrue statement of a material fact
15
or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements contained therein not misleading, (b) as of the Time of Sale, the Time of Sale Prospectus contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (c) as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus, and any subsequent amendments or supplements thereto, as of their respective dates, and as of the Closing Date, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (it being understood that such counsel need make no comment with respect to the financial statements and other financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or incorporated therein or as to the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-l of the Trustee under the Indenture).
(g) The Purchasers shall have received from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, counsel for the Purchasers, an opinion dated the Closing Date, with such changes as may be agreed upon by the Company and the Purchasers, with respect to the matters referred to in Section 7(d) subheadings (ii), (iii) and (ix) and such other matters as the Purchasers shall reasonably request and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass on such matters.
In rendering such opinion, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP may rely, as to the incorporation of the Company and all other matters governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, upon the opinion of counsel for the Company referred to in Section 7(d) above.
In addition, such counsel shall state that such counsel has participated in conferences with officers, counsel and other representatives of the Company, representatives of the independent registered public accounting firm for the Company and representatives of the Purchasers at which the contents of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and related matters were discussed; and, although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (except as to the matters referred to in their opinion rendered pursuant to subheading (ix) above), on the basis of the foregoing, (A) the Registration Statement and the Prospectus appear on their face to be appropriately responsive in all material respects to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Rules and Regulations; and (B) no facts have come to the attention of such counsel which lead such counsel to believe that (a) on the date of this Agreement, the Registration Statement contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements contained therein not misleading, (b) as of the Time of Sale, the Time of Sale Prospectus contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading and (c) as of the date of this Agreement and as of the Closing Date, the Prospectus, and any subsequent amendments or supplements thereto, as of their
16
respective dates, and as of the Closing Date, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (it being understood that such counsel need make no comment with respect to the financial statements and other financial and statistical data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus or incorporated therein, or as to the Statement of Eligibility on Form T-l of the Trustee under the Indenture).
(h) You shall have received a certificate of an officer of the Company and a principal financial or accounting officer of the Company, dated the Closing Date, in which such officers shall state, to the best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, and relying on opinions of counsel to the extent that legal matters are involved, that the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct in all material respects, that the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing Date, that no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for such purpose have been instituted, are pending or, to the best of the knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission, and that, subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements set forth or incorporated by reference in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus, there has been no material adverse change in the financial position or in the financial results of operation of the Company except as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus.
(j) The Company will furnish you with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as you reasonably request.
In case any such condition shall not have been satisfied, this Agreement may be terminated by you upon notice in writing or by telecopy to the Company without liability or obligation on the part of the Company or any Purchaser, except as set forth in Sections 5(i) and 11 hereof.
8. Condition of the Obligations of the Company . The obligations of the Company to sell and deliver the Purchased Bonds are subject to the following condition precedent:
(a) Prior to the Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or you, shall be contemplated by the Commission and the Company has not received a notice of objection to the use of the Registration Statement as an automatic shelf registration statement.
If such condition shall not have been satisfied, then the Company shall be entitled, by notice in writing or by telecopy to you, to terminate this Agreement without any liability on the part of the Company or any Purchaser, except as set forth in Sections 5(i), 9 and 11 hereof.
9. Indemnification .
(a) The Company will indemnify and hold harmless each Purchaser, its affiliates, as such term is defined in Rule 501(b) under the Securities Act (each, an Affiliate), its selling agents and each person, if any, who controls any Purchaser within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Purchaser, Affiliate or such controlling person may become
17
subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; and will reimburse each Purchaser, Affiliate and each such controlling person for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Purchaser, Affiliate or such controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action; provided, however, that the Company will not be liable to such Purchaser, Affiliate or controlling person in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission made in any such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Purchaser specifically for use therein, provided, further, that the foregoing indemnity with respect to any Time of Sale Prospectus or any Prospectus shall not inure to the benefit of any Purchaser from whom the person asserting any losses, claims, damages or liabilities otherwise covered by this paragraph purchased Purchased Bonds, or to the benefit of any person controlling such Purchaser, if a copy of the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (as then amended and supplemented if the Company shall have furnished any amendments or supplements thereto) was not sent or given by or on behalf of such Purchaser to such person if required so to have been delivered, at or prior to the entry into the contract of sale of Purchased Bonds with such person, and if the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (as so amended or supplemented) would have cured the defect giving rise to such loss, claim, damage or liability. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have.
(b) Each Purchaser will severally indemnify and hold harmless the Company, each of its directors, each officer who signs any part of the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person may become subject, under the Securities Act, or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any Preliminary Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto), or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Purchaser specifically for use therein; and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company or any such director, officer or controlling person in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred. This indemnity agreement will be in addition to any liability which such Purchaser may otherwise have.
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(c) Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof may be made against the indemnifying party under (a) or (b) above, notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify the indemnifying party will not relieve it from any liability which it may have to any indemnified party under (a) or (b) above, except to the extent the indemnifying party has been materially prejudiced by such omission. In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party, and it notifies the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who may, with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party) and who shall not be counsel to any other indemnified party who may have interests conflicting with those of such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding and does not include an admission of fault or culpability to act by or on behalf of such indemnified party.
(d) If recovery is not available under the foregoing indemnification provisions of this Section, for any reason other than as specified therein, the parties entitled to indemnification by the terms thereof shall be entitled to contribution to liabilities and expenses, except to the extent that contribution is not permitted under Section 11(f) of the Securities Act. In determining the amount of contribution to which the respective parties are entitled, there shall be considered (i) the relative benefits received by each party from the offering of the Purchased Bonds (taking into account the portion of the proceeds of the offering realized by each), the parties relative knowledge and access to information concerning the matter with respect to which the claim was asserted, the opportunity to correct and prevent any statement or omission, and any other equitable considerations appropriate under the circumstances, or (ii) if allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and of the Purchasers on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, damages, expenses, liabilities or claims, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The Company and the Purchasers and such controlling persons agree that it would not be equitable if the amount of such contribution were determined by pro rata or per capita allocation (even if the Purchasers and such controlling persons were treated as one entity for such purpose). Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection (d), no Purchaser, Affiliate or controlling person shall be required to make contribution hereunder which in the aggregate exceeds the total public offering price of the Purchased Bonds, purchased by the Purchaser under this Agreement, less the aggregate
19
amount of any damages which such Purchaser or such controlling person has otherwise been required to pay in respect of the same claim or any substantially similar claim. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Purchasers obligations to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint.
10. Default of Purchasers . If any Purchaser or Purchasers default in their obligations to purchase Purchased Bonds hereunder and the aggregate principal amount of Purchased Bonds which such defaulting Purchaser or Purchasers agreed but failed to purchase is 10% of the principal amount of Purchased Bonds or less, the non-defaulting Purchasers may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Purchased Bonds by other persons, including any of the Purchasers, but if no such arrangements are made by the Closing Date the non-defaulting Purchasers shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase the Purchased Bonds which such defaulting Purchasers agreed but failed to purchase. If any Purchaser or Purchasers so default and the aggregate principal amount of Purchased Bonds with respect to which such default or defaults occur is more than the above percentage and arrangements reasonably satisfactory to you and the Company for the purchase of such Purchased Bonds by other persons are not made within seventy-two hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Purchaser or the Company, except as provided in Section 11. In the event that any Purchaser or Purchasers default in their obligation to purchase Purchased Bonds hereunder, the Company may, by prompt written notice to the non-defaulting Purchasers, postpone the Closing Date for a period of not more than seven full business days in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or in any other documents, and the Company will promptly file any amendments to the Registration Statement or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus which may thereby be made necessary. As used in this Agreement, the term Purchaser includes any person substituted for a Purchaser under this Section. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Purchaser from liability for its default.
11. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations . The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties, and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the several Purchasers set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Purchaser or the Company or any of its officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Purchased Bonds. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 7, 8 or 10 or if for any reason the purchase of the Purchased Bonds by the Purchasers is not consummated, the Company shall remain responsible for the expenses to be paid or reimbursed by it pursuant to Section 5(i). In addition, in such event the respective obligations of the Company and the Purchasers pursuant to Section 9 shall remain in effect.
12. Notices . All communications hereunder will be in writing, and, if sent to the Purchasers will be delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the address furnished in writing for the purpose of such communications hereunder, or, if sent to the Company, will be delivered or telecopied and confirmed to it, attention of Treasurer at 2 Center Plaza, 110 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201, telecopier (443) 213-3400.
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13. Successors . This Purchase Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 9, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder. The term successors as used in this Agreement shall not include any purchaser of any Purchased Bonds from any of the Purchasers.
14. Entire Agreement . (a) This Agreement, together with any contemporaneous written agreements and any prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement) that relate to the offering of the Purchased Bonds, represents the entire agreement between the Company and the Purchasers with respect to the preparation of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, the conduct of the offering, and the purchase and sale of the Purchased Bonds.
(b) The Company acknowledges that in connection with the offering of the Purchased Bonds: (i) the Purchasers have acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Company or any other person, (ii) the Purchasers owe the Company only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements to the extent not superseded by this Agreement, if any, and (iii) the Purchasers may have interests that differ from those of the Company. The Company waives to the full extent permitted by applicable law any claims it may have against the Purchasers arising from an alleged breach of fiduciary duty in connection with the offering of the Purchased Bonds.
15. Construction . This Purchase Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
16. Counterparts . This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts and it is not necessary that the signatures of all parties appear on the same counterpart, but such counterparts together shall constitute but one and the same agreement.
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Exhibit 4(u)
Counterpart of .
BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY,
Issuer
TO
DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS,
Trustee
Indenture and Security Agreement
Dated as of July 9, 2009
THIS INSTRUMENT CONTAINS AFTER-ACQUIRED
PROPERTY PROVISIONS
BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reconciliation and tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939
and Indenture and Security Agreement, dated as of July 9, 2009
|
Trust Indenture Act Section |
Indenture Section |
|||
| §310 | (a)(1) | 1009 | ||
| (a)(2) | 1009 | |||
| (a)(3) | 1014 | |||
| (a)(4) | Not Applicable | |||
| (b) | 1008, 1010 | |||
| §311 | (a) | 1013 | ||
| (b) | 1013 | |||
| (c) | Not Applicable | |||
| §312 | (a) | 1101 | ||
| (b) | 1101 | |||
| (c) | 1101 | |||
| §313 | (a) | 1102 | ||
| (b)(1) | Not Applicable | |||
| (b)(2) | 1102 | |||
| (c) | 1102 | |||
| (d) | 1102 | |||
| §314 | (a) | 1102 | ||
| (a)(4) | 705 | |||
| (b) | 1816 | |||
| (c)(1) | 104 | |||
| (c)(2) | 104 | |||
| (c)(3) | Not Applicable | |||
| (d) | 1603, 1803, 1804, 1805, 1810 | |||
| (e) | 104 | |||
| §315 | (a) | 1001(a) | ||
| (b) | 1002 | |||
| (c) | 1001(b) | |||
| (d) | 1001(c) | |||
| (d)(1) | 1001(a)(1), 1001(c)(1) | |||
| (d)(2) | 1001(c)(2) | |||
| (d)(3) | 1001(c)(3) | |||
| (e) | 914 | |||
| §316 | (a) | 912, 913 | ||
| (a)(1)(A) | 902, 912 | |||
| (a)(1)(B) | 913 | |||
| (a)(2) | Not Applicable | |||
| (b) | 908 | |||
| §317 | (a)(1) | 903 | ||
| (a)(2) | 904 | |||
| (b) | 703 | |||
| §318 | (a) | 109 | ||
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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RECITALS OF THE COMPANY |
1 | |||
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GRANTING CLAUSES |
1 | |||
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ARTICLE ONE DEFINITIONS AND OTHER PROVISIONS OF GENERAL APPLICATION |
4 | |||
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SECTION 101. |
Definitions | 4 | ||
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Accountant |
5 | |||
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Act |
5 | |||
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Authenticating Agent |
5 | |||
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Authorized Officer |
5 | |||
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Authorized Purposes |
5 | |||
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Board of Directors |
5 | |||
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Board Resolution |
5 | |||
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Business Day |
5 | |||
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Collateral |
6 | |||
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Commission |
6 | |||
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Company |
6 | |||
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Company Order or Company Request |
6 | |||
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Corporate Trust Office |
6 | |||
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corporation |
6 | |||
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Cost |
6 | |||
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Defaulted Interest |
6 | |||
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Discount Security |
6 | |||
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Dollar or $ |
6 | |||
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Easement |
6 | |||
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Eligible Obligations |
7 | |||
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Event of Default |
7 | |||
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Excepted Property |
7 | |||
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Exchange Act |
7 | |||
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Execution Date |
7 | |||
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Expert |
7 | |||
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Experts Certificate |
7 | |||
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Fair Value |
7 | |||
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Funded Cash |
8 | |||
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Funded Property |
8 | |||
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Governmental Authority |
8 | |||
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Government Obligations |
8 | |||
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Holder |
8 | |||
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Indenture |
8 | |||
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Independent |
8 | |||
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Independent Experts Certificate |
8 | |||
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interest |
8 | |||
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Interest Payment Date |
8 | |||
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Investment Securities |
9 | |||
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Lien |
9 | |||
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Maturity |
9 | |||
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Notice of Default |
9 | |||
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Officers Certificate |
9 | |||
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Opinion of Counsel |
10 | |||
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Outstanding |
10 | |||
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Paying Agent |
11 | |||
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Periodic Offering |
11 | |||
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Permitted Liens |
11 | |||
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Person |
15 | |||
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Place of Payment |
15 | |||
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Predecessor Security |
15 | |||
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Prepaid Liens |
15 | |||
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Property Additions |
15 | |||
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Purchase Money Lien |
15 | |||
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Redemption Date |
16 | |||
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Redemption Price |
16 | |||
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Regular Record Date |
16 | |||
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Required Currency |
16 | |||
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Responsible Officer |
16 | |||
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Retired Securities |
16 | |||
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Securities |
16 | |||
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Securities Act |
16 | |||
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Security Register and Security Registrar |
16 | |||
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Special Record Date |
16 | |||
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Stated Interest Rate |
16 | |||
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Stated Maturity |
17 | |||
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Successor Company |
17 | |||
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supplemental indenture or indenture supplemental hereto |
17 | |||
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Tranche |
17 | |||
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Trustee |
17 | |||
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Trust Indenture Act |
17 | |||
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United States |
17 | |||
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SECTION 102. |
Funded Property; Funded Cash | 17 | ||
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SECTION 103. |
Property Additions; Cost | 18 | ||
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SECTION 104. |
Compliance Certificates and Opinions | 21 | ||
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SECTION 105. |
Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee | 21 | ||
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SECTION 106. |
Acts of Holders | 23 | ||
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SECTION 107. |
Notices, Etc. to Trustee or Company | 24 | ||
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SECTION 108. |
Notice to Holders of Securities; Waiver | 25 | ||
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SECTION 109. |
Conflict with Trust Indenture Act | 25 | ||
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SECTION 110. |
Effect of Headings and Table of Contents | 26 | ||
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SECTION 111. |
Successors and Assigns | 26 | ||
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SECTION 112. |
Separability Clause | 26 | ||
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SECTION 113. |
Benefits of Indenture | 26 | ||
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SECTION 114. |
Governing Law | 26 | ||
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SECTION 115. |
Legal Holidays | 26 | ||
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SECTION 116. |
Investment of Cash Held by Trustee | 27 | ||
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SECTION 117. |
Force Majeure | 28 | ||
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SECTION 118. |
Waiver of Jury Trial | 28 | ||
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| ARTICLE TWO SECURITY FORMS | 28 | |||
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SECTION 201. |
Forms Generally | 28 | ||
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SECTION 202. |
Form of Trustees Certificate of Authentication | 29 | ||
| ARTICLE THREE THE SECURITIES | 29 | |||
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SECTION 301. |
Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series | 29 | ||
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SECTION 302. |
Denominations | 32 | ||
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SECTION 303. |
Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating | 32 | ||
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SECTION 304. |
Global or Temporary Securities | 35 | ||
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SECTION 305. |
Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange | 35 | ||
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SECTION 306. |
Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities | 36 | ||
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SECTION 307. |
Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved | 37 | ||
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SECTION 308. |
Persons Deemed Owners | 38 | ||
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SECTION 309. |
Cancellation | 38 | ||
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SECTION 310. |
Computation of Interest | 39 | ||
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SECTION 311. |
Payment to Be in Proper Currency | 39 | ||
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SECTION 312. |
Extension of Interest Payment | 39 | ||
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SECTION 313. |
CUSIP Numbers | 39 | ||
| ARTICLE FOUR SECURITY AGREEMENT | 40 | |||
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SECTION 401. |
Security Agreement Fixture Filing | 40 | ||
| ARTICLE FIVE REDEMPTION OF SECURITIES | 40 | |||
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SECTION 501. |
Applicability of Article | 40 | ||
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SECTION 502. |
Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee | 40 | ||
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SECTION 503. |
Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed | 40 | ||
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SECTION 504. |
Notice of Redemption | 41 | ||
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SECTION 505. |
Securities Payable on Redemption Date | 42 | ||
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SECTION 506. |
Securities Redeemed in Part | 42 | ||
| ARTICLE SIX SINKING FUNDS | 43 | |||
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SECTION 601. |
Applicability of Article | 43 | ||
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SECTION 602. |
Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities | 43 | ||
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SECTION 603. |
Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund | 43 | ||
| ARTICLE SEVEN REPRESENTATIONS AND COVENANTS | 44 | |||
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SECTION 701. |
Payment of Securities; Lawful Possession | 44 | ||
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SECTION 702. |
Maintenance of Office or Agency | 44 | ||
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SECTION 703. |
Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust | 45 | ||
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SECTION 704. |
Corporate Existence | 46 | ||
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SECTION 705. |
Annual Officers Certificate as to Compliance | 46 | ||
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SECTION 706. |
Recordation of Easement | 46 | ||
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SECTION 707. |
Waiver of Certain Covenants | 46 | ||
| ARTICLE EIGHT SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE | 47 | |||
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SECTION 801. |
Satisfaction and Discharge of Securities | 47 | ||
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SECTION 802. |
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture | 49 | ||
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SECTION 803. |
Application of Trust Money | 49 | ||
| ARTICLE NINE EVENTS OF DEFAULT; REMEDIES | 50 | |||
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SECTION 901. |
Events of Default | 50 | ||
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SECTION 902. |
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment | 52 | ||
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SECTION 903. |
Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee | 52 | ||
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SECTION 904. |
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim | 53 | ||
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SECTION 905. |
Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities | 53 | ||
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SECTION 906. |
Application of Money Collected | 54 | ||
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SECTION 907. |
Limitation on Suits | 54 | ||
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SECTION 908. |
Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest | 55 | ||
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SECTION 909. |
Restoration of Rights and Remedies | 55 | ||
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SECTION 910. |
Rights and Remedies Cumulative | 55 | ||
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SECTION 911. |
Delay or Omission Not Waiver | 55 | ||
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SECTION 912. |
Control by Holders of Securities | 55 | ||
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SECTION 913. |
Waiver of Past Defaults | 56 | ||
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SECTION 914. |
Undertaking for Costs | 56 | ||
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SECTION 915. |
Waiver of Usury, Stay or Extension Laws | 56 | ||
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SECTION 916. |
Receiver and Other Remedies | 57 | ||
| ARTICLE TEN THE TRUSTEE | 57 | |||
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SECTION 1001. |
Certain Duties and Responsibilities | 57 | ||
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SECTION 1002. |
Notice of Defaults | 58 | ||
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SECTION 1003. |
Certain Rights of Trustee | 58 | ||
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SECTION 1004. |
Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities | 59 | ||
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SECTION 1005. |
May Hold Securities | 59 | ||
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SECTION 1006. |
Money Held in Trust | 59 | ||
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SECTION 1007. |
Compensation and Reimbursement | 60 | ||
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SECTION 1008. |
Disqualification; Conflicting Interests | 61 | ||
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SECTION 1009. |
Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility | 61 | ||
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SECTION 1010. |
Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor | 61 | ||
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SECTION 1011. |
Acceptance of Appointment by Successor | 63 | ||
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SECTION 1012. |
Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business | 63 | ||
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SECTION 1013. |
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company | 63 | ||
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SECTION 1014. |
Co-trustee and Separate Trustees | 63 | ||
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SECTION 1015. |
Appointment of Authenticating Agent | 65 | ||
| ARTICLE ELEVEN HOLDERS LISTS AND REPORTS BY TRUSTEE AND COMPANY | 66 | |||
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SECTION 1101. |
Lists of Holders | 66 | ||
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SECTION 1102. |
Reports by Trustee and Company | 66 | ||
| ARTICLE TWELVE CONSOLIDATION, MERGER, CONVEYANCE, OR OTHER TRANSFER | 67 | |||
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SECTION 1201. |
Company may Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms | 67 | ||
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SECTION 1202. |
Successor Company Substituted | 68 | ||
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SECTION 1203. |
Extent of Lien Hereof on Property of Successor Company | 69 | ||
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SECTION 1204. |
Release of Company upon Conveyance or Other Transfer | 69 | ||
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SECTION 1205. |
Merger into Company; Extent of Lien Hereof | 69 | ||
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SECTION 1206. |
Transfer of Less than Substantially All | 69 | ||
| ARTICLE THIRTEEN AMENDMENTS | 70 | |||
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SECTION 1301. |
Amendments Without Consent of Holders | 70 | ||
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SECTION 1302. |
Amendments With Consent of Holders | 72 | ||
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SECTION 1303. |
Execution of Amendments | 73 | ||
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SECTION 1304. |
Effect of Amendments | 73 | ||
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SECTION 1305. |
Conformity With Trust Indenture Act | 73 | ||
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SECTION 1306. |
Reference in Securities to Amendments | 74 | ||
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SECTION 1307. |
Modification Without Amendment | 74 | ||
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SECTION 1308. |
Amendment of Easement | 74 | ||
| ARTICLE FOURTEEN MEETINGS OF HOLDERS; ACTION WITHOUT MEETING | 74 | |||
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SECTION 1401. |
Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called | 74 | ||
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SECTION 1402. |
Call, Notice and Place of Meetings | 75 | ||
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SECTION 1403. |
Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings | 75 | ||
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SECTION 1404. |
Quorum; Action | 75 | ||
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SECTION 1405. |
Attendance at Meetings; Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings | 76 | ||
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SECTION 1406. |
Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings | 77 | ||
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SECTION 1407. |
Action Without Meeting | 77 | ||
| ARTICLE FIFTEEN IMMUNITY OF INCORPORATORS, SHAREHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS | 77 | |||
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SECTION 1501. |
Liability Solely Corporate | 77 | ||
| ARTICLE SIXTEEN ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES | 78 | |||
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SECTION 1601. |
General | 78 | ||
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SECTION 1602. |
Reserved | 78 | ||
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SECTION 1603. |
Issuance of Securities on the Basis of Property Additions | 78 | ||
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SECTION 1604. |
Issuance of Securities on the Basis of Retired Securities | 81 | ||
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SECTION 1605. |
Issuance of Securities on the Basis of Deposit of Cash | 81 | ||
| ARTICLE SEVENTEEN RESERVED | 82 | |||
| ARTICLE EIGHTEEN POSSESSION, USE AND RELEASE OF COLLATERAL | 82 | |||
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SECTION 1801. |
Quiet Enjoyment | 82 | ||
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SECTION 1802. |
Dispositions and Other Actions without Release | 82 | ||
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SECTION 1803. |
Release of Collateral | 83 | ||
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SECTION 1804. |
Release of Collateral Not Constituting Funded Property | 88 | ||
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SECTION 1805. |
Release of Minor Properties | 89 | ||
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SECTION 1806. |
Withdrawal or Other Application of Funded Cash; Purchase Money Obligations | 89 | ||
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SECTION 1807. |
Release of Property Taken by Eminent Domain, etc | 92 | ||
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|
SECTION 1808. |
Reserved | 92 | ||
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SECTION 1809. |
Disclaimer or Quitclaim | 92 | ||
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SECTION 1810. |
Miscellaneous | 93 | ||
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SECTION 1811. |
Reserved | 94 | ||
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SECTION 1812. |
Preservation of Lien | 94 | ||
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SECTION 1813. |
Maintenance of Properties | 94 | ||
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SECTION 1814. |
Payment of Taxes; Prior or Equal Liens | 94 | ||
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SECTION 1815. |
Insurance | 95 | ||
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SECTION 1816. |
Recording, Filing, etc | 98 | ||
| Testimonium | 99 | |||
| Signatures | 99 | |||
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THIS INSTRUMENT CONTAINS AFTER-ACQUIRED PROPERTY PROVISIONS
THIS INDENTURE AND SECURITY AGREEMENT made by and between BALTIMORE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY, as of July 9, 2009 (the Execution Date), a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Maryland (hereinafter sometimes called the Company), party of the first part, and on the Execution Date DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, a banking corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New York, and having its principal corporate trust office at 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005 (hereinafter sometimes called the Trustee), for the benefit of Holders of Securities (as hereinafter defined) herein represented by the Trustee, party of the second part.
RECITALS OF THE COMPANY
The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its debt securities (the Securities) in an unlimited aggregate principal amount, to be issued in one or more series as contemplated herein, and to provide security for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities;
The Outstanding Securities will be secured by a lien on the Collateral (as hereinafter defined) to the extent provided herein. The Company is also executing the Easement (as hereinafter defined) in favor of the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders from time to time of the Outstanding Securities.
All acts necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company have been performed. For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided herein or unless the context otherwise requires, capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in Article One of this Indenture.
GRANTING CLAUSES
NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that, in consideration of the premises and of the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, and in order to secure the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities from time to time Outstanding and the performance of the covenants therein and herein contained, and to declare the terms and conditions on which such Securities are secured, the Company hereby grants, bargains, sells, conveys, assigns, transfers, mortgages, pledges, sets over and confirms to the Trustee, in trust, and grants to the Trustee a security interest in and lien on, the following (subject, however, to the terms and conditions set forth in this Indenture):
First Granting Clause
All right, title and interest of the Company, as of the Execution Date, or thereafter acquired, in and to (a) all property (other than Excepted Property) included in the Companys electric utility distribution property account including the following subaccounts thereof: station equipment; storage battery equipment; poles, towers and fixtures; overhead conductors and devices; underground conduit; underground conductors and devices; line transformers; services; meters; installations on customers premises; leased property on customers premises; and street lighting and signal systems (in each case within the meaning of the Uniform System of Accounts of the Federal Energy
1
Regulatory Commission (or any successor provisions thereto)), (b) all other property that is properly accounted for as equipment and fixtures (other than Excepted Property) used or useful in the Companys electric utility distribution business, and (c) the Companys franchises, permits and licenses that are transferable and necessary for the operation of such property.
Second Granting Clause
Any Excepted Property, which may, from time to time after the Execution Date, by delivery or by an instrument supplemental to this Indenture, be subjected to the Lien hereof by the Company, the Trustee being hereby authorized to receive the same at any time as additional security hereunder; it being understood that any such subjection to the Lien hereof of any Excepted Property as additional security may be made subject to such reservations, limitations or conditions respecting the use and disposition of such property or the proceeds thereof as shall be set forth in such instrument;
Excepted Property
Expressly excepting and excluding, however, from the Lien of this Indenture all right, title and interest of the Company in and to the following property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired (herein sometimes called Excepted Property):
(a) all cash on hand or in banks or other financial institutions, deposit accounts, securities accounts, shares of stock, interests in business trusts, general or limited partnerships or limited liability companies, bonds, notes, mortgages, other evidences of indebtedness and other securities, security entitlements, commodities accounts and other investment property and policies of insurance on lives of officers of the Company, of whatsoever kind and nature, not hereafter paid or delivered to, deposited with or held by the Trustee hereunder or required so to be;
(b) all contracts, leases, operating agreements and other agreements of whatsoever kind and nature and rights thereunder (other than the Companys franchises, permits and licenses that are transferable and necessary for the operation of the Collateral); all bills, notes and other instruments and chattel paper (except to the extent that any of the same constitute securities, security entitlements or investment property, in which case they are separately excepted from the Lien of this Indenture under clause (a) above); all revenues, income and earnings, all accounts, accounts receivable, rights to payment, payment intangibles and unbilled revenues, rights or property consisting of rights granted by statute or governmental action to bill and collect revenues or other amounts from customers or others, including rate stabilization charges and other special charges, and all rents, tolls, issues, product and profits, dividends, income, claims, credits, demands and judgments; all governmental and other licenses, permits and franchises (other than the Companys franchises, permits and licenses that are transferable and necessary for the operation of the Collateral); all consents and allowances, including emission allowances and regulatory assets; all
2
documents, including warehouse receipts; all cooperative interests; and all patents, patent licenses and other patent rights, patent applications, trade names, trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property; and all claims, credits, choses in action, commercial tort claims, tax credits and other intangible property and general intangibles including, but not limited to, computer software;
(c) all automobiles, buses, trucks, truck cranes, tractors, trailers and similar vehicles and movable equipment; all rolling stock, rail cars and other railroad equipment; all vessels, boats, barges, and other marine equipment; all airplanes, helicopters, aircraft engines and other flight equipment; all parts, accessories and supplies used in connection with any of the foregoing; and all personal property of such character that the perfection of a security interest therein or other Lien thereon is not governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the jurisdiction in which the Company is organized;
(d) all merchandise and appliances acquired for the purpose of resale in the ordinary course and conduct of the business of the Company, and all materials and supplies held for consumption in operation or held in advance of use thereof for fixed capital purposes;
(e) all electric energy and capacity, gas, steam and other materials and products generated, manufactured, produced or purchased by the Company for sale, distribution or use in the ordinary course and conduct of its business;
(f) all property which is the subject of a lease agreement designating the Company as lessee and all right, title and interest of the Company in and to such property and in, to and under such lease agreement, whether or not such lease agreement is intended as security and the last day of the term of any lease or leasehold which may hereafter become subject to the Lien hereof;
(g) all property which subsequent to the Execution Date has been released from the Lien of this Indenture, and any improvements, extensions and additions to such properties and renewals, replacements and substitutions of or for any parts thereof;
(h) all property included in the Companys electric transmission property account and all subaccounts thereof (in each case within the meaning of the Uniform System of Accounts of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (or any successor provisions thereto)); and
(i) all real property (other than fixtures) including land, land rights and structures and improvements to the extent not equipment or fixtures (in each case within the meaning of the Uniform System of Accounts of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (or any successor provisions thereto)).
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TO HAVE AND TO HOLD all such property unto the Trustee, its successors in trust and their assigns forever;
SUBJECT, HOWEVER, to Permitted Liens;
IN TRUST, NEVERTHELESS, for the equal and ratable benefit and security of the Holders from time to time of all Outstanding Securities without any priority of any such Security over any other such Security;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the right, title and interest of the Trustee in and to the Collateral shall cease, terminate and become void in accordance with, and subject to the conditions set forth in, Article Eight, and if the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities shall have been paid to the Holders thereof, or shall have been paid to the Company pursuant to Section 703 hereof or to the appropriate Governmental Authority pursuant to applicable law after the Maturity thereof, then and in that case this Indenture shall terminate, subject to and in accordance with Article Eight, and the Trustee shall execute and deliver to the Company such instruments as the Company shall require to evidence such termination; otherwise this Indenture, and the estate and rights hereby granted, shall be and remain in full force and effect; and
IT IS HEREBY COVENANTED AND AGREED by and between the Company and the Trustee that all the Securities are to be authenticated and delivered, and that the Collateral is to be held, and the Easement is to be exercised, subject to the further covenants, conditions and trusts hereinafter set forth, and the Company hereby covenants and agrees to and with the Trustee, for the equal and ratable benefit of all holders of the Securities, as follows:
ARTICLE ONE
Definitions And Other Provisions Of General Application
SECTION 101. Definitions.
For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;
(b) all terms used herein without definition which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act as in effect on the Execution Date, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;
(c) all terms used herein without definition which are defined in the Uniform Commercial Code of New York as in effect on the Execution Date shall have the meanings assigned to them therein;
(d) all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States, and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term generally accepted accounting principles with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted in the United States at the date of such computation or, at the election of the Company from time
4
to time, at the Execution Date; provided, however, that in determining generally accepted accounting principles applicable to the Company, effect shall be given, to the extent required, to any order, rule or regulation of any administrative agency, regulatory authority or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company;
(e) any reference to an Article or a Section refers to an Article or a Section, as the case may be, of this Indenture; and
(f) the words herein, hereof, hereto and hereunder and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
Accountant means a person engaged in the accounting profession or otherwise qualified to pass on accounting matters (including, but not limited to, a Person certified or licensed as a public accountant, whether or not then engaged in the public accounting profession), which Person, unless required to be Independent, may be an employee or Affiliate of the Company.
Act , when used with respect to any Holder of a Security, has the meaning specified in Section 106.
Affiliate of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, control when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct generally the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms controlling and controlled have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
Authenticating Agent means any Person or Persons (other than the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) authorized by the Trustee to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate the Securities of one or more series.
Authorized Officer means the Chairman of the Board, the Vice Chairman, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer, any Assistant Treasurer, or any other officer, manager or agent of the Company duly authorized pursuant to a Board Resolution to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture.
Authorized Purposes means the authentication and delivery of Securities, the release of property and/or the withdrawal of cash under any of the provisions of this Indenture.
Board of Directors means either the board of directors, board of managers or similar governing body of the Company or any committee thereof duly authorized to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture.
Board Resolution means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary or an Authorized Officer of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.
Business Day , when used with respect to a Place of Payment or any other particular location specified in the Securities or this Indenture, means any day, other than a Saturday, Sunday or any day (i) on which banking institutions or trust companies in such Place of Payment or other location are
5
generally authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed, and (ii) on which a majority of the ten largest banking institutions (calculated by reference to the aggregate deposits of such banking institutions as of the then most recent fiscal quarter-end) in such Place of Payment or such other location remain closed; except as may be otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301.
Collateral means, as of any particular time, all property which at such time is subject to the Lien of this Indenture (which, for the avoidance of doubt, includes Funded Cash, Investment Securities and obligations secured by Purchase Money Liens to the extent held by the Trustee as part of the Collateral as set forth herein).
Commission means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Exchange Act, or, if at any time after the Execution Date such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body, if any, performing such duties at such time.
Company means the Person named as the Company in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Person shall have succeeded thereto pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter Company shall mean such successor Person.
Company Order or Company Request mean, respectively, a written order or request, as the case may be, signed in the name of the Company by an Authorized Officer and delivered to the Trustee.
Corporate Trust Office means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the Execution Date is located at 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005.
corporation means a corporation, association, company, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, joint stock company or business trust, and references to corporate and other derivations of corporation herein shall be deemed to include appropriate derivations of such entities.
Cost with respect to Property Additions has the meaning specified in Section 103.
Defaulted Interest has the meaning specified in Section 307.
Discount Security means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 902. Interest with respect to a Discount Security means interest, if any, borne by such Security at a Stated Interest Rate.
Dollar or $ means a dollar or other equivalent unit in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.
Easement means that certain non-exclusive Deed of Easement and Right-of-Way Grant dated as of July 9, 2009 by the Company to the Trustee.
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Eligible Obligations means:
(a) with respect to Securities denominated in Dollars, Government Obligations or, if specified pursuant to Section 301 with respect to any Securities, other Investment Securities; or
(b) with respect to Securities denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency, such other obligations or instruments as shall be specified with respect to such Securities, as contemplated by Section 301.
Event of Default has the meaning specified in Section 901.
Excepted Property has the meaning specified in the granting clauses of this Indenture.
Exchange Act means, as of any time, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as in effect at such time.
Execution Date has the meaning specified in the first paragraph of this Indenture.
Expert means a Person which is an engineer, appraiser or other expert and which, with respect to any certificate to be signed by such Person and delivered to the Trustee, is qualified to pass upon the matters set forth in such certificate. For purposes of this definition, (a) engineer means a Person engaged in the engineering profession or otherwise qualified to pass upon engineering matters (including, but not limited to, a Person licensed as a professional engineer, whether or not then engaged in the engineering profession) and (b) appraiser means a Person engaged in the business of appraising property or otherwise qualified to pass upon the Fair Value or fair market value of property.
Experts Certificate means a certificate signed by an Authorized Officer and by an Expert (which Expert (a) shall be selected either by the Board of Directors or by an Authorized Officer, the execution of such certificate by such Authorized Officer to be conclusive evidence of such selection, and (b) except as otherwise required in Sections 1206, 1603, 1810, may be an employee or Affiliate of the Company) and delivered to the Trustee. The amount stated in any Experts Certificate as to the Cost, Fair Value or fair market value of property shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities.
Fair Value , except as otherwise provided in this Indenture, with respect to property, means the fair value of such property as determined in the reasonable judgment of the Person certifying to such value, such determination to be based on any one or more factors deemed relevant by such Person, including, without limitation, (a) the amount which would be likely to be obtained in an arms-length transaction with respect to such property between an informed and willing buyer and an informed and willing seller, under no compulsion, respectively, to buy or sell, (b) the amount of investment with respect to such property which, together with a reasonable return thereon, would be likely to be recovered through ordinary business operations or otherwise, (c) the Cost, accumulated depreciation, and replacement cost with respect to such property and/or (d) any other relevant factors; provided, however, that (x) the Fair Value of property shall be determined without deduction for any Liens on such property prior to the Lien of this Indenture (except as otherwise provided in Section 1803) and (y) the Fair Value to the Company of Property Additions may be of less value to a Person which is not the owner or operator of the Collateral or any portion thereof than to a Person which is such owner or operator. Fair Value may be determined, without physical inspection, by the use of accounting and engineering records and other data maintained by the Company or otherwise available to the Expert certifying the same.
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Funded Cash has the meaning specified in Section 102.
Funded Property has the meaning specified in Section 102.
Governmental Authority means the government of the United States or of any State or Territory thereof or of the District of Columbia or of any county, municipality or other political subdivision of any thereof, or any department, agency, authority or other instrumentality of any of the foregoing.
Government Obligations means securities which are (a) (i) direct obligations of the United States where the payment or payments thereunder are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States or (ii) obligations of a Person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States where the timely payment or payments thereunder are unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States or (b) depository receipts issued by a bank (as defined in Section 3(a)(2) of the Securities Act, which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) as custodian with respect to any such Government Obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of or other amount with respect to any such Government Obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt, provided that (except as required by law) such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the Government Obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of or other amount with respect to the Government Obligation evidenced by such depository receipt.
Holder means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.
Indenture means this instrument as originally executed and delivered and as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof, including, for all purposes of this instrument and any such supplemental indenture, the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern this Indenture and any such supplemental indenture, respectively. The term Indenture shall also include the provisions or terms of particular series of Securities established in any Officers Certificate, Board Resolution or Company Order delivered pursuant to Sections 201, 301, 303 and 1307.
Independent means a Person who (a) is in fact independent, (b) does not have any direct material financial interest in the Company or in any other obligor upon the Securities or in any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor and (c) is not connected with the Company or such other obligor as an officer, employee, promoter, underwriter, trustee, partner, director or any person performing similar functions.
Independent Experts Certificate means a certificate signed by an Expert who is Independent and delivered to the Trustee.
interest with respect to a Discount Security means interest, if any, borne by such Security at a Stated Interest Rate rather than interest calculated at any imputed rate.
Interest Payment Date , when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.
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Investment Securities means any of the following obligations or securities on which neither the Company, any other obligor on the Securities nor any Affiliate of either is the obligor: (a) Government Obligations; (b) interest bearing deposit accounts (which may be represented by certificates of deposit) in any national or state bank (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) or savings and loan association that has outstanding securities rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (c) bankers acceptances drawn on and accepted by any commercial bank (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) that has outstanding securities rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (d) direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, any State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia, or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing, that are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (e) bonds or other obligations of any agency or instrumentality of the United States; (f) corporate debt securities that are rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (g) repurchase agreements with respect to any of the foregoing obligations or securities with any banking or financial institution (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) that has outstanding securities rated by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization in either of the two (2) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short term securities or in any of the three (3) highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long term securities; (h) securities issued by any regulated investment company (including any investment company for which the Trustee or any Paying Agent is the advisor), as defined in Section 851 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor section of such Code or successor federal statute, provided that the portfolio of such investment company is limited to obligations or securities of the character and investment quality contemplated in clauses (a) through (f) above and repurchase agreements which are fully collateralized by any of such obligations or securities; and (i) any other obligations or securities which may lawfully be purchased by the Trustee in its capacity as such.
Lien means any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, easement, lease, reservation, restriction, servitude, charge or similar right and any other lien of any kind, including, without limitation, any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, any lease in the nature thereof, and any defect, irregularity, exception or limitation in record title.
Maturity when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as provided in such Security or in this Indenture, whether at the Stated Maturity, by declaration of acceleration, upon call for redemption or otherwise.
Notice of Default has the meaning specified in Section 901(c).
Officers Certificate means a certificate signed by an Authorized Officer of the Company and delivered to the Trustee.
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Opinion of Counsel means a written opinion of counsel, who may be counsel for the Company, or an individual who is an employee of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company, and who shall be acceptable to the Trustee.
Outstanding , when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:
(a) Securities theretofore paid, redeemed, canceled or delivered to the Security Registrar for cancellation;
(b) Securities deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture in accordance with Section 801 (whether or not the Companys indebtedness in respect thereof shall be satisfied and discharged for any other purpose) or deemed to have been paid in accordance with the terms of the Securities; and
(c) Securities, the principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, which have been fully paid pursuant to the third paragraph of Section 306 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it and the Company that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser or purchasers in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;
provided, however, that in determining whether or not the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Securities Outstanding under this Indenture, or the Outstanding Securities of any series or Tranche, have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder or whether or not a quorum is present at a meeting of Holders of Securities,
(x) Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor (unless the Company, such Affiliate or such obligor owns all Securities Outstanding under this Indenture or (except for the purposes of actions to be taken by Holders of more than one series or more than one Tranche, as the case may be, voting as a class under Section 1302) all Outstanding Securities of each such series and each such Tranche, as the case may be, determined without regard to this clause (x)) shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver or upon any such determination as to the presence of a quorum, only Securities which a Responsible Officer of the Trustee actually knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded; provided, however, that Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if it is established to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee that the pledgee, and not the Company, or any such other obligor or Affiliate of either thereof, has the right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor; and provided, further, that in no event shall any Security which shall have been delivered to evidence or secure, in whole or in part, the Companys obligations in respect of other indebtedness be deemed to be owned by the Company if the principal of such Security is payable, whether at Stated Maturity or upon mandatory redemption or acceleration, at the same time as the principal of such other indebtedness is payable, whether at Stated Maturity or upon mandatory redemption or acceleration, but only to the extent of such portion of the principal amount of such Security as does not exceed the principal amount of such other indebtedness, and
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(y) the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 902; and
(z) the principal amount of any Security which is denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of Dollars which could have been purchased by the principal amount (or, in the case of a Discount Security, the Dollar equivalent on the date determined as set forth below of the amount determined as provided in (y) above) of such currency or composite currency evidenced by such Security, in each such case certified to the Trustee in an Officers Certificate, based (i) on the average of the mean of the buying and selling spot rates quoted by three banks which are members of the New York Clearing House Association selected by the Company in effect at 11:00 A.M. (New York time) in The City of New York on the fifth Business Day preceding any such determination or (ii) if on such fifth Business Day it shall not be possible or practicable to obtain such quotations from such three banks, on such other quotations or alternative methods of determination which shall be as consistent as practicable with the method set forth in (i) above;
provided, further, that in the case of any Security the principal of which is payable from time to time without presentment or surrender, the principal amount of such Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding at any time for all purposes of this Indenture shall be the original principal amount thereof less the aggregate amount of principal thereof theretofore paid.
Paying Agent means any Person, including the Company, authorized by the Company to pay the principal of, and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Securities on behalf of the Company. Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the Trustee shall be the initial Paying Agent for each series of Securities and any Tranche thereof.
Periodic Offering means an offering of Securities of a series from time to time any or all of the specific terms of which Securities, including without limitation the rate or rates of interest, if any, thereon, the Stated Maturity or Maturities thereof and the redemption provisions, if any, with respect thereto, are to be determined by the Company or its agents from time to time subsequent to the initial request for the authentication and delivery of such Securities by the Trustee, as contemplated in Section 301 and clause (b) of Section 303.
Permitted Liens means, as of any particular time, any of the following:
(a) Liens existing at the Execution Date;
(b) as to property acquired by the Company after the Execution Date, Liens existing or placed thereon at the time of the acquisition thereof and any Purchase Money Liens;
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(c) Liens for taxes, assessments and other governmental charges or requirements which are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or of which at least ten (10) Business Days notice has not been given to the general counsel of the Company or to such other Person designated by the Company to receive such notices;
(d) mechanics, workmens, repairmens, materialmens, warehousemens, and carriers Liens, other Liens incident to construction, Liens or privileges of any employees of the Company for salary or wages earned, but not yet payable, and other Liens, including without limitation Liens for workers compensation awards, arising in the ordinary course of business for charges or requirements which are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings or of which at least ten (10) Business Days notice has not been given to the general counsel of the Company or to such other Person designated by the Company to receive such notices;
(e) Liens in respect of attachments, judgments or awards arising out of judicial or administrative proceedings (i) in an amount not exceeding the greater of (A) Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) and (B) three percent (3%) of the principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding or (ii) with respect to which the Company shall (X) in good faith be prosecuting an appeal or other proceeding for review and with respect to which the Company shall have secured a stay of execution pending such appeal or other proceeding, (Y) have the right to prosecute an appeal or other proceeding for review or (Z) have not received at least ten (10) Business Days notice given to the general counsel of the Company or to such other Person designated by the Company to receive such notices;
(f) easements, leases, reservations or other rights of others in, on, over and/or across, and laws, regulations and restrictions affecting, and defects, irregularities, exceptions and limitations in title to, the Collateral or any part thereof; provided, however, that such easements, leases, reservations, rights, laws, regulations, restrictions, defects, irregularities, exceptions and limitations do not in the aggregate materially impair the use by the Company of the Collateral considered as a whole for the purposes for which it is held by the Company;
(g) Liens, defects, irregularities, exceptions and limitations in (i) title to real property subject to rights-of-way in favor of the Company or otherwise or used or to be used by the Company primarily for right-of-way purposes; (ii) real property held under lease, easement, license or similar right; or (iii) the rights-of-way, leases, easements, licenses or similar rights in favor of the Company; provided, however, that (A) the Company shall have obtained from the apparent owner or owners of such real property a sufficient right, by the terms of the instrument granting such right-of-way, lease, easement, license or similar right, to the use thereof for the purposes for which the Company acquired
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the same; (B) the Company has power under eminent domain or similar statutes to remove or subordinate such Liens, defects, irregularities, exceptions or limitations or (C) such defects, irregularities, exceptions and limitations may be otherwise remedied without undue effort or expense; and defects, irregularities, exceptions and limitations in title to flood lands, flooding rights and/or water rights;
(h) Liens securing indebtedness or other obligations neither created, assumed nor guaranteed by the Company nor on account of which it customarily pays interest upon real property or rights in or relating to real property acquired by the Company for the purpose of the transmission or distribution of electric energy, gas or water, for the purpose of telephonic, telegraphic, radio, wireless or other electronic communication or otherwise for the purpose of obtaining rights-of-way;
(i) leases existing at the Execution Date affecting properties owned by the Company at said date and renewals and extensions thereof; and, subject to Article Twelve, leases affecting such properties entered into after such date or affecting properties acquired by the Company after such date which, in either case, (i) have respective terms of not more than ten (10) years (including extensions or renewals at the option of the tenant) or (ii) do not materially impair the use by the Company of such properties for the respective purposes for which they are held by the Company;
(j) Liens vested in lessors, licensors, franchisors or permitters for rent or other amounts to become due or for other obligations or acts to be performed, the payment of which rent or the performance of which other obligations or acts is required under leases, subleases, licenses, franchises or permits, so long as the payment of such rent or other amounts or the performance of such other obligations or acts is not delinquent or is being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings;
(k) controls, restrictions, obligations, duties and/or other burdens imposed by federal, state, municipal or other law, or by rules, regulations or orders of Governmental Authorities, upon the Collateral or any part thereof or the operation or use thereof or upon the Company with respect to the Collateral or any part thereof or the operation or use thereof or with respect to any franchise, grant, license, permit or public purpose requirement, or any rights reserved to or otherwise vested in Governmental Authorities to impose any such controls, restrictions, obligations, duties and/or other burdens;
(l) rights which Governmental Authorities may have by virtue of franchises, grants, licenses, permits or contracts, or by virtue of law, to purchase, recapture or designate a purchaser of or order the sale of the Collateral or any part thereof, to terminate franchises, grants, licenses, permits, contracts or other rights or to regulate the property and business of the Company; and any and all obligations of the Company correlative to any such rights;
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(m) Liens required by law or governmental regulations (i) as a condition to the transaction of any business or the exercise of any privilege or license, (ii) to enable the Company to maintain self-insurance or to participate in any funds established to cover any insurance risks, (iii) in connection with workmens compensation, unemployment insurance, social security, any pension or welfare benefit plan or (iv) to share in the privileges or benefits required for companies participating in one or more of the arrangements described in clauses (ii) and (iii) above;
(n) Liens on the Collateral or any part thereof which are granted by the Company to secure duties or public or statutory obligations or to secure, or serve in lieu of, surety, stay or appeal bonds;
(o) rights reserved to or vested in others to take or receive any part of any coal, ore, gas, oil and other minerals, any timber and/or any electric capacity or energy, gas, water, steam and any other products, developed, produced, manufactured, generated, purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company or by others on property of the Company;
(p) (i) rights and interests of Persons other than the Company arising out of contracts, agreements and other instruments to which the Company is a party and which relate to the common ownership or joint use of property; and (ii) all Liens on the interests of Persons other than the Company in property owned in common by such Persons and the Company if and to the extent that the enforcement of such Liens would not adversely affect the interests of the Company in such property in any material respect;
(q) any restrictions on assignment and/or requirements of any assignee to qualify as a permitted assignee and/or public utility or public service corporation;
(r) any Liens which have been bonded for the full amount in dispute or for the payment of which other adequate security arrangements have been made;
(s) any controls, liens, restrictions, regulations, easements, exceptions or reservations of any public authority or unit applying particularly to any form of space satellites (including but not limited to solar power satellites), space stations and other analogous facilities whether or not in the earths atmosphere;
(t) rights and interests granted pursuant to Section 1802(c);
(u) any Lien of the Trustee granted pursuant to Section 1007; and
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(v) Prepaid Liens.
Person means any individual, corporation, joint venture, trust or unincorporated organization, any Governmental Authority or any other entity.
Place of Payment , when used with respect to the Securities of any series, or Tranche thereof, means the place or places, specified as contemplated by Section 301, at which, subject to Section 702, principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of such series or Tranche are payable.
Predecessor Security of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.
Prepaid Liens means any Lien securing indebtedness for the payment of which money in the necessary amount shall have been irrevocably deposited in trust with the trustee or other holder of such Lien; provided, however, that if such indebtedness is to be redeemed or otherwise prepaid prior to the Stated Maturity thereof, any notice requisite to such redemption or prepayment shall have been given in accordance with the mortgage or other instrument creating such Lien or irrevocable instructions to give such notice shall have been given to such trustee or other holder.
Property Additions has the meaning specified in Section 103.
Purchase Money Lien means, with respect to any property being acquired or disposed of by the Company or being released from the Lien of this Indenture, a Lien on such property which
(a) is taken or retained by the transferor of such property to secure all or part of the purchase price thereof;
(b) is granted to one or more Persons other than the transferor which, by making advances or incurring an obligation, give value to enable the grantor of such Lien to acquire rights in or the use of such property;
(c) is granted to any other Person in connection with the release of such property from the Lien of this Indenture on the basis of the deposit with the Trustee or the trustee or other holder of a Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture of obligations secured by such Lien on such property (as well as any other property subject thereto);
(d) is held by a trustee or agent for the benefit of one or more Persons described in clause (a), (b) and/or (c) above, provided that such Lien may be held, in addition, for the benefit of one or more other Persons which shall have theretofore given, or may thereafter give, value to or for the benefit or account of the grantor of such Lien for one or more other purposes; or
(e) otherwise constitutes a purchase money mortgage or a purchase money security interest under applicable law;
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and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, for purposes of this Indenture, the term Purchase Money Lien shall be deemed to include any Lien described above whether or not such Lien (x) shall permit the issuance or other incurrence of additional indebtedness secured by such Lien on such property, (y) shall permit the subjection to such Lien of additional property and the issuance or other incurrence of additional indebtedness on the basis thereof and/or (z) shall have been granted prior to the acquisition, disposition or release of such property, shall attach to or otherwise cover property other than the property being acquired, disposed of or released and/or shall secure obligations issued prior and/or subsequent to the issuance of the obligations delivered in connection with such acquisition, disposition or release.
Redemption Date , when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.
Redemption Price , when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture, exclusive of accrued and unpaid interest.
Regular Record Date for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 301.
Required Currency has the meaning specified in Section 311.
Responsible Officer , when used with respect to the Trustee, means officer within the corporate trust department of the Trustee, including any managing director, director, Vice President, Assistant Vice President, Trust Officer or any other officer of the Trustee who customarily performs functions similar to those performed by the persons who at the time shall be such officers, respectively, or to whom any corporate trust matter is referred because of such persons knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject and who shall have direct responsibility for the administration of this Indenture.
Retired Securities means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture which (i) no longer remain Outstanding by reason of the applicability of clause (a) or (b) in the definition of Outstanding (other than any Predecessor Security of any Security), (ii) have not been made the basis under any of the provisions of this Indenture of one or more Authorized Purposes; and (iii) have not been paid, redeemed, purchased or otherwise retired by the application thereto of Funded Cash.
Securities has the meaning stated in the first recital of this Indenture and more particularly means any securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.
Securities Act means, as of any time, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, as in effect at such time.
Security Register and Security Registrar have the respective meanings specified in Section 305.
Special Record Date for the payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.
Stated Interest Rate means a rate (whether fixed or variable) at which an obligation by its terms is stated to bear simple interest. Any calculation or other determination to be made under this Indenture by reference to the Stated Interest Rate on a Security shall be made without regard to the effective interest cost to the Company of such Security and without regard to the Stated Interest Rate on, or the effective cost to the Company of, any other indebtedness the Companys obligations in respect of which are evidenced or secured in whole or in part by such Security.
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Stated Maturity , when used with respect to any Security or any obligation or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date on which the principal of such obligation or such installment of principal or interest is stated to be due and payable (without regard to any provisions for redemption, prepayment, acceleration, purchase or extension).
Successor Company has the meaning set forth in Section 1201.
supplemental indenture or indenture supplemental hereto means an instrument supplementing or amending this Indenture executed and delivered pursuant to Article Thirteen.
Tranche means a group of Securities which (a) are of the same series and (b) have identical terms except as to principal amount and/or date of issuance.
Trustee means the Person named as the Trustee in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Trustee shall have been appointed by the Company pursuant to Section 1010 or otherwise have become such with respect to one or more series of Securities pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter Trustee shall mean or include each Person who is then a Trustee hereunder, and if at any time there is more than one such Person, Trustee as used with respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of that series.
Trust Indenture Act means, as of any time, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, as in effect at such time.
United States means the United States of America, its territories, its possessions and other areas subject to its jurisdiction.
SECTION 102. Funded Property; Funded Cash.
Funded Property means:
(a) all Property Additions to the extent that the same shall have been made the basis of the authentication and delivery of Securities under this Indenture pursuant to Section 1603;
(b) all Property Additions to the extent that the same shall have been made the basis of the release of Funded Property from the Lien of this Indenture pursuant to Section 1803;
(c) all Property Additions to the extent that the same shall have been substituted for Funded Property retired pursuant to Section 103;
(d) all Property Additions to the extent that the same shall have been made the basis of the withdrawal of cash held by the Trustee pursuant to Section 1605 or 1806; and
(e) all Property Additions to the extent that the same shall have been used as the basis of a credit against, or otherwise in satisfaction of, the requirements of any
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sinking, improvement, maintenance, replacement or similar fund or analogous provision established with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, as contemplated by Section 301; provided, however, that any such Property Additions shall cease to be Funded Property when all of the Securities of such series or Tranche shall cease to be Outstanding.
In the event that in any certificate filed with the Trustee in connection with any of the Property Additions referred to in clauses (a), (b), (d) and (e) of this definition of Funded Property, only a part of the Cost or Fair Value of the Property Additions described in such certificate shall be required for the purposes of such certificate, then such Property Additions shall be deemed to be Funded Property only to the extent so required for the purpose of such certificate.
All Funded Property that shall be abandoned, destroyed, released or otherwise disposed of shall for the purpose of Section 103 hereof be deemed Funded Property retired and for other purposes of this Indenture shall thereupon cease to be Funded Property but as in this Indenture provided may at any time thereafter again become Funded Property. Neither any reduction in the Cost or book value of property recorded in the plant account of the Company, nor the transfer of any amount appearing in such account to intangible and/or adjustment accounts, otherwise than in connection with actual retirements of physical property abandoned, destroyed, released or disposed of, and otherwise than in connection with the removal of such property in its entirety from plant account, shall be deemed to constitute a retirement of Funded Property.
The Company, and any Expert or other Person providing certificates or opinions under this Indenture, may make allocations, on a pro-rata or other reasonable basis (including, but not limited to, the designation of specific properties or the designation of all or a specified portion of the properties reflected in one or more generic accounts or subaccounts in the Companys books of account), for the purpose of determining the extent to which fungible properties, or other properties not otherwise identified, reflected in the same generic account or subaccount in the Companys books of account constitute Collateral, Property Additions, Funded Property or Funded Property retired or any part thereof.
Funded Cash means:
(a) cash, held by the Trustee hereunder, to the extent that it represents the proceeds of insurance on Funded Property (except as otherwise provided in Section 1815), or cash deposited in connection with the release of Funded Property pursuant to Article Eighteen, or the payment of the principal of, or the proceeds of the release of, obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien and delivered to the Trustee pursuant to Article Eighteen, all subject, however, to the provisions of Section 1806 and Section 1815; and
(b) any cash deposited with the Trustee under Section 1605.
SECTION 103. Property Additions; Cost.
(a) Property Additions means, as of any particular time, any item, unit, element or fractional share of property which at such time is owned by the Company and is Collateral.
(b) When any Property Additions are certified to the Trustee as the basis of any Authorized Purpose (except as otherwise provided in Section 1803 and Section 1806),
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(i) there shall be deducted from the Cost or Fair Value to the Company thereof, as the case may be (as of the date so certified), an amount equal to the Cost (or as to Property Additions of which the Fair Value to the Company at the time the same became Funded Property was certified to be an amount less than the Cost as determined pursuant to this Section, then such Fair Value, as so certified, in lieu of Cost) of all Funded Property of the Company retired to the date of such certification (other than the Funded Property, if any, in connection with the application for the release of which such certificate is filed) and not theretofore deducted from the Cost or Fair Value to the Company of Property Additions theretofore certified to the Trustee, and
(ii) there may, at the option of the Company, be added to such Cost or Fair Value, as the case may be, the sum of
(1) the principal amount of any obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien, not theretofore so added and which the Company then elects so to add, which shall theretofore have been delivered to the Trustee or the trustee or other holder of a Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture as the basis of the release of Funded Property retired from the Lien of this Indenture or such prior Lien, as the case may be;
(2) the amount of any cash, not theretofore so added and which the Company then elects so to add, which shall theretofore have been delivered to the Trustee or the trustee or other holder of a Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture as the proceeds of insurance on Funded Property retired (to the extent of the portion thereof deemed to be Funded Cash) or as the basis of the release of Funded Property retired from the Lien of this Indenture or from such prior Lien, as the case may be;
(3) 100/65ths of the principal amount of any Security or Securities, or portion of such principal amount, not theretofore so added and which the Company then elects so to add, (I) which shall theretofore have been delivered to the Trustee as the basis of the release of Funded Property retired or (II) the right to the authentication and delivery of which under the provisions of Section 1604 shall at any time theretofore have been waived under Section 1803(d)(iii) as the basis of the release of Funded Property retired;
(4) the Cost or Fair Value to the Company (whichever shall be less) of any Property Additions, not theretofore so added and which the Company then elects so to add, which shall theretofore have been made the basis of the release of Funded Property retired (such Fair Value to be the amount shown in the Experts Certificate delivered to the Trustee in connection with such release); and
(5) the Cost to the Company of any Property Additions not theretofore so added and which the Company then elects so to add, to the extent that the same shall have been substituted for Funded Property retired;
provided, however, that the aggregate of the amounts added under clause (ii) above shall in no event exceed the amounts deducted under clause (i) above.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in Section 1803, the term Cost with respect to Property Additions shall mean the sum of (i) any cash delivered in payment therefor or for the acquisition thereof, (ii) an amount equivalent to the fair market value in cash (as of the date of delivery) of any securities or other property delivered in payment therefor or for the acquisition thereof, (iii) the principal
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amount of any obligations secured by prior Lien upon such Property Additions outstanding at the time of the acquisition thereof, (iv) the principal amount of any other obligations incurred or assumed in connection with the payment for such Property Additions or for the acquisition thereof and (v) any other amounts which, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, are properly charged or chargeable to the plant or other property accounts of the Company with respect to such Property Additions as part of the cost of construction or acquisition thereof, including, but not limited to, any allowance for funds used during construction or any similar or analogous amount; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture,
(i) with respect to Property Additions owned by a successor corporation immediately prior to the time it shall have become such by consolidation or merger or acquired by a successor corporation in or as a result of a consolidation or merger (excluding, in any case, Property Additions owned by the Company immediately prior to such time), Cost shall mean the amount or amounts at which such Property Additions are recorded in the plant or other property accounts of such successor corporation, or the predecessor corporation from which such Property Additions are acquired, as the case may be, immediately prior to such consolidation or merger;
(ii) with respect to Property Additions which shall have been acquired (otherwise than by construction) by the Company without any consideration consisting of cash, securities or other property or the incurring or assumption of indebtedness, no determination of Cost shall be required, and, wherever in this Indenture provision is made for Cost or Fair Value, Cost with respect to such Property Additions shall mean an amount equal to the Fair Value to the Company thereof or, if greater, the aggregate amount reflected in the Companys books of account with respect thereto upon the acquisition thereof; and
(iii) in no event shall the Cost of Property Additions be required to reflect any depreciation or amortization in respect of such Property Additions, or any adjustment to the amount or amounts at which such Property Additions are recorded in plant or other property accounts due to the non-recoverability of investment or otherwise.
If any Property Additions are shown by the Experts Certificate provided for in Section 1603(b)(ii) to include property which has been used or operated by others than the Company in a business similar to that in which it has been or is to be used or operated by the Company, the Cost thereof need not be reduced by any amount in respect of any goodwill, going concern value rights and/or intangible property simultaneously acquired for which no separate or distinct consideration shall have been paid or apportioned, and in such case the term Property Additions as defined herein may include such goodwill, going concern value rights and intangible property.
For purposes of the deductions required by this Section, the term Cost with respect to Collateral that was owned by the Company on December 31, 2008 shall mean the net book value of such property on such date as shown on the books of the Company unless such property became Collateral after the Execution Date. For the avoidance of doubt, if any property owned by the Company on December 31, 2008 would have constituted Funded Property but for its retirement on or prior to the Execution Date, such property shall be deemed to be Funded Property retired for purposes of this Section.
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SECTION 104. Compliance Certificates and Opinions.
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officers Certificate stating that in the opinion of the Authorized Officer executing such Officers Certificate all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action (including any covenants compliance with which constitutes a condition precedent) have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, except that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture shall include:
(a) a statement that each Person signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(c) a statement that, in the opinion of each such Person, such Person has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable such Person to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
SECTION 105. Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.
(a) Any Officers Certificate may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon legal matters, upon an opinion of, or representations by, counsel, and, insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters which are subject to verification by Accountants, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Accountant, and insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters which are required in this Indenture to be covered by a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Expert, upon the certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Expert, unless, in any case, such officer has actual knowledge that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which such Officers Certificate may be based as aforesaid are erroneous.
Any Experts Certificate may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon legal matters, upon an opinion of, or representations by, counsel, and insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon factual matters, information with respect to which is in the possession of the Company and which are not subject to verification by Experts, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company, unless such expert has actual knowledge that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous.
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Any certificate of an Accountant may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon legal matters, upon an opinion of, or representations by, counsel, and in so far as it relates to or is dependent upon factual matters, information with respect to which is in the possession of the Company and which are not subject to verification by Accountants, upon a certificate of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company, unless such Accountant has actual knowledge that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous.
Any Opinion of Counsel may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon factual matters, information with respect to which is in the possession of the Company, upon a certificate of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company, and, insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters which are subject to verification by Accountants upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Accountant, and, insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters required in this Indenture to be covered by a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Expert, upon the certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Expert, unless such counsel has actual knowledge that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous. In addition, any Opinion of Counsel may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters covered in an Opinion of Counsel rendered by other counsel, upon such other Opinion of Counsel, unless such counsel has actual knowledge that the Opinion of Counsel rendered by such other counsel with respect to the matters upon which his Opinion of Counsel may be based as aforesaid are erroneous. Further, any Opinion of Counsel with respect to the status of title to or the sufficiency of descriptions of property, and/or the existence of Liens thereon, and/or the recording or filing of documents, and/or any similar matters, may be based (without further examination or investigation) upon (i) title insurance policies or commitments and reports, abstracts of title, lien search certificates and other similar documents or (ii) certificates of, or representations by, officers, employees, agents and/or other representatives of the Company or (iii) any combination of the documents referred to in (i) and (ii), unless, in any case, such counsel has actual knowledge that the document or documents with respect to the matters upon which his opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous. If, in order to render any Opinion of Counsel provided for herein, the signer thereof shall deem it necessary that additional facts or matters be stated in any Officers Certificate, certificate of an Accountant or Experts Certificate provided for herein, then such certificate may state all such additional facts or matters as the signer of such Opinion of Counsel may request.
(b) In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents. Where (i) any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, or (ii) two or more Persons are each required to make, give or execute any such application, request, consent, certificate, statement, opinion or other instrument, any such applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
(c) Whenever, subsequent to the receipt by the Trustee of any Board Resolution, Officers Certificate, Experts Certificate, Opinion of Counsel or other document or instrument, a clerical, typographical or other inadvertent or unintentional error or omission shall be discovered therein, a new document or instrument may be substituted therefor in corrected form with the same force and effect as if
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originally filed in the corrected form and, irrespective of the date or dates of the actual execution and/or delivery thereof, such substitute document or instrument shall be deemed to have been executed and/or delivered as of the date or dates required with respect to the document or instrument for which it is substituted. Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, if any such corrective document or instrument indicates that action has been taken by or at the request of the Company which could not have been taken had the original document or instrument not contained such error or omission, the action so taken shall not be invalidated or otherwise rendered ineffective but shall be and remain in full force and effect, except to the extent that such action was a result of willful misconduct or bad faith. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any Securities issued under the authority of such defective document or instrument shall nevertheless be the valid obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits of this Indenture equally and ratably with all other Outstanding Securities, except as aforesaid.
SECTION 106. Acts of Holders.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing or, alternatively, may be embodied in and evidenced by the record of Holders voting in favor thereof, either in person or by proxies duly appointed in writing, at any meeting of Holders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article Fourteen, or a combination of such instruments and any such record. Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments or record or both are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company. Such instrument or instruments and any such record (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the Act of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments and so voting at any such meeting. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent, or of the holding by any Person of a Security, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 1001) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section. The record of any meeting of Holders shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 1406.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof or may be proved in any other manner which the Trustee and the Company deem sufficient. Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority.
(c) The ownership, principal amount (except as otherwise contemplated in clause (y) of the first proviso to the definition of Outstanding) and serial numbers of Securities held by any Person, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Security Register.
(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other Act of a Holder shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.
(e) Until such time as written instruments shall have been delivered to the Trustee with respect to the requisite percentage of principal amount of Securities for the action contemplated by
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such instruments, any such instrument executed and delivered by or on behalf of a Holder may be revoked with respect to any or all of such Securities by written notice by such Holder or any subsequent Holder, proven in the manner in which such instrument was proven.
(f) Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, authenticated and delivered after any Act of Holders may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Company as to any action taken by such Act of Holders. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Company, to such action may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranche.
(g) If the Company shall solicit from Holders any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so. If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of the Outstanding Securities have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities shall be computed as of the record date.
SECTION 107. Notices, Etc. to Trustee or Company.
Except as otherwise provided herein, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with, the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company, or the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder, shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise expressly provided herein) if in writing and delivered personally to an officer or other responsible employee of the addressee, or transmitted by facsimile transmission to such telephone number set forth for such party below or such other address, telephone number or other method of electronic communication as the parties hereto shall from time to time designate, or delivered by registered or certified mail or reputable overnight courier, charges prepaid, to the applicable address set forth for such party below or to such other address as either party hereto may from time to time designate:
If to the Trustee, to:
Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas
Trust & Securities Services
60 Wall Street, MSNYC60-2710
New York, New York 10005
Attention: Corporate Team Client Service Deal Manager
Telephone: 908-608-3191
Telecopy: 732-578-4635
with a copy to:
Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas
c/o Deutsche Bank National Trust Company
Trust & Securities Services
25 DeForest Avenue, MSSUM01-01-5
Summit, New Jersey 07901
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Attention: Corporate Team Client Service Deal Manager
Telephone: 908-608-3191
Telecopy: 732-578-4635
If to the Company, to:
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
2 Center Plaza
110 West Fayette Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
Attention: Treasurer
Telephone: 410-470-5616
Telecopy: 443-213-3400
Any communication contemplated herein shall be deemed to have been made, given, furnished and filed if personally delivered, on the date of delivery, if transmitted by facsimile transmission or other method of electronic communication, on the date of transmission, and if transmitted by registered or certified mail or reputable overnight courier, on the date of receipt.
SECTION 108. Notice to Holders of Securities; Waiver.
Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given, and shall be deemed given, to Holders if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, if any, prescribed for the giving of such Notice.
In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice to Holders by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder. In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders.
Any notice required by this Indenture may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event otherwise to be specified therein, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.
SECTION 109. Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.
If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision hereof which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by, or is otherwise governed by, any provision of the Trust Indenture Act, such other provision shall control; and if any provision hereof otherwise conflicts with the Trust Indenture Act, the Trust Indenture Act shall control unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities.
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SECTION 110. Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.
The Article and Section headings in this Indenture and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.
SECTION 111. Successors and Assigns.
All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company and Trustee shall bind their respective successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.
SECTION 112. Separability Clause.
In case any provision in this Indenture or the Securities shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
SECTION 113. Benefits of Indenture.
Nothing in this Indenture or the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, their successors hereunder and the Holders of any Outstanding Securities, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.
SECTION 114. Governing Law.
This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of New York (including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law or any successor to such statute), except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act shall be applicable and except to the extent that the law of any jurisdiction wherein any portion of the Collateral is located shall mandatorily govern the creation of a mortgage lien on or security interest in, or perfection, priority or enforcement of the Lien of this Indenture or exercise of remedies with respect to, such portion of the Collateral.
SECTION 115. Legal Holidays.
In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities other than a provision in Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, or in the indenture supplemental hereto, Board Resolution or Officers Certificate which establishes the terms of the Securities of such series or Tranche, which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section) payment of interest or principal and premium, if any, need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date, or Stated Maturity, and, if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day, no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be, to such Business Day.
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SECTION 116. Investment of Cash Held by Trustee.
Any cash held by the Trustee or any Paying Agent under any provision of this Indenture shall, except as otherwise provided in Section 1806 or in Article Eight, at the request of the Company evidenced by Company Order, be invested or reinvested in Investment Securities designated by the Company (such Company Order to contain a representation to the effect that the securities designated therein constitute Investment Securities), and any interest on such Investment Securities shall be promptly paid over to the Company as received free and clear of any Lien. Such Investment Securities shall be held subject to the same provisions hereof as the cash used to purchase the same, but upon a like request of the Company shall be sold, in whole or in designated part, and the proceeds of such sale shall be held subject to the same provisions hereof as the cash used to purchase the Investment Securities so sold. If the cash used to purchase such Investment Securities was being held as part of the Collateral, then such Investment Securities and proceeds shall also be held as part of the Collateral. If such sale shall produce a net sum less than the cost of the Investment Securities so sold, the Company shall pay to the Trustee or any such Paying Agent, as the case may be, such amount in cash as, together with the net proceeds from such sale, shall equal the cost of the Investment Securities so sold, and if such sale shall produce a net sum greater than the cost of the Investment Securities so sold, the Trustee or any such Paying Agent, as the case may be, shall promptly pay over to the Company an amount in cash equal to such excess, free and clear of any Lien. In no event shall the Trustee be liable for any loss incurred in connection with the sale of any Investment Security pursuant to this Section.
It is agreed and understood that the entity serving as Trustee may earn fees associated with the investments outlined above in accordance with the terms of such investments. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trustee shall have the power to sell or liquidate the foregoing investments whenever the Trustee shall be required to release all or any portion of the cash. In no event shall the Trustee be deemed an investment manager or adviser in respect of any selection of investments hereunder. It is understood and agreed that the Trustee or its affiliates are permitted to receive additional compensation that could be deemed to be in the Trustees economic self-interest for (1) serving as investment adviser, administrator, shareholder servicing agent, custodian or sub-custodian with respect to certain of the investments, (2) using affiliates to effect transactions in certain investments and (3) effecting transactions in investments.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, interest on Investment Securities and any gain upon the sale thereof shall be held as part of the Collateral until such Event of Default shall have been cured or waived, whereupon such interest and gain shall be promptly paid over to the Company free and clear of any Lien.
Subject to the provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee (or any Paying Agent), in its capacity as a bank (within the meaning of Section 9-102(8) of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of New York), shall have sole dominion and control over any deposit account where cash that is being held as part of the Collateral is deposited; provided, that, upon the occurrence and continuation of an Event of Default, the Trustee (or any Paying Agent), in such capacity, shall comply with all instructions originated by the Trustee (or any Paying Agent) directing the disposition of such cash in such deposit account without further consent or instruction by the Company.
The Company acknowledges that in accordance with the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001, Public Law 107-56 (the Patriot Act), the Trustee, like all financial institutions, is required to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or legal entity that establishes a relationship or opens an account with Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas. The Company agrees that it will provide the Trustee with such information as it may request in order for the Trustee to satisfy the requirements of the Patriot Act.
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SECTION 117. Force Majeure.
In no event shall the Trustee be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services; it being understood that the Trustee shall use reasonable efforts which are consistent with accepted practices in the banking industry to resume performance as soon as practicable under the circumstances.
SECTION 118. Waiver of Jury Trial.
EACH OF THE COMPANY AND THE TRUSTEE HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS INDENTURE, THE SECURITIES OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY.
ARTICLE TWO
Security Forms
SECTION 201. Forms Generally.
The definitive Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form or forms thereof established in the indenture supplemental hereto establishing such series or in a Board Resolution establishing such series, or in an Officers Certificate pursuant to such a supplemental indenture or Board Resolution, in each case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such notations, legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with applicable law, the rules of any securities exchange or depository, including The Depository Trust Company, or other clearing corporation or securities intermediary, automated quotation system, agreements to which the Company is subject, or usage, or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof. If the form or forms of Securities of any series are established in a Board Resolution or in an Officers Certificate pursuant to a supplemental indenture or a Board Resolution, such Board Resolution and Officers Certificate, if any, shall be delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 303 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, the Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form without coupons. The definitive Securities shall be produced in such manner as shall be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof.
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SECTION 202. Form of Trustees Certificate of Authentication.
The Trustees certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the form set forth below:
This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
| DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS, | ||
| as Trustee | ||
| By: |
|
|
| Authorized Signatory | ||
ARTICLE THREE
The Securities
SECTION 301. Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.
The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and secured by this Indenture shall be unlimited except as provided in this Article and Section 1601.
The Securities may be issued in one or more series. Subject to the last paragraph of this Section, prior to the authentication and delivery of Securities of any series there shall be established by specification in a supplemental indenture or in a Board Resolution or in an Officers Certificate pursuant to a supplemental indenture or a Board Resolution:
(a) the title of the Securities of such series (which shall distinguish the Securities of such series from Securities of all other series);
(b) any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of such series pursuant to Section 304, 305, 306, 506 or 1306 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);
(c) the Person or Persons (without specific identification) to whom any interest on Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable on any Interest Payment Date, if other than the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest;
(d) the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of such series or any Tranche thereof, is payable or any formulary or other method or means by which such date or dates shall be determined, by reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside of this Indenture or otherwise (without regard to any provisions for redemption, prepayment, acceleration, purchase or extension); and the right, if any, to extend the Maturity of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, and the duration of any such extension;
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(e) the rate or rates at which the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall bear interest, if any (including the rate or rates at which overdue principal shall bear interest after Maturity if different from the rate or rates at which such Securities shall bear interest prior to Maturity, and, if applicable, the rate or rates at which overdue premium or interest shall bear interest, if any), or any formulary or other method or means by which such rate or rates shall be determined by reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside of this Indenture or otherwise, the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue; the Interest Payment Dates and the Regular Record Dates, if any, for the interest payable on such Securities on any Interest Payment Date; and the basis of computation of interest, if other than as provided in Section 310; and the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of any such extension;
(f) the place or places at which and/or methods (if other than as provided elsewhere in this Indenture) by which (i) the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable, (ii) registration of transfer of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be effected, (iii) exchanges of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be effected and (iv) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, and this Indenture may be served; the Security Registrar and any Paying Agent or Agents for such series or Tranche; and, if such is the case, that the principal of such Securities shall be payable without the presentment or surrender thereof;
(g) the period or periods within which, or the date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company and any restrictions on such redemptions, including but not limited to a restriction on a partial redemption by the Company of the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, resulting in delisting of such Securities from any national exchange;
(h) the obligation or obligations, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase or repay the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, pursuant to any sinking fund or other mandatory redemption provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which or the date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which such Securities shall be redeemed or purchased or repaid, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation and applicable exceptions to the requirements of Section 504 in the case of mandatory redemption or redemption or repayment at the option of the Holder;
(i) the denominations in which Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be issuable if other than denominations of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) and any integral multiple thereof;
(j) if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in a coin or currency other than that in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made and the manner in which the amount of such coin or currency payable is to be determined;
(k) the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche
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thereof, shall be payable (if other than Dollars) and the manner in which the equivalent of the principal amount thereof in Dollars is to be determined for any purpose, including for the purpose of determining the principal amount deemed to be Outstanding at any time;
(l) if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be payable, or are to be payable at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in securities or other property, the type and amount of such securities or other property, or the formulary or other method or means by which such amount shall be determined, and the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, any such election may be made;
(m) if the amount payable in respect of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be determined with reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside this Indenture, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined to the extent not established pursuant to clause (e) of this paragraph;
(n) if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 902;
(o) any Events of Default, in addition to those specified in Section 901, or any exceptions to those specified in Section 901, with respect to the Securities of such series, and any covenants of the Company for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, in addition to those set forth in Article Seven, or any exceptions to those set forth in Article Seven;
(p) the terms, if any, pursuant to which the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company or any other Person;
(q) the obligations or instruments, if any, which shall be considered to be Eligible Obligations in respect of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency, whether Eligible Obligations include Investment Securities with respect to Securities of such series, and any provisions for satisfaction and discharge of Securities of any series, in addition to those set forth in Article Eight, or any exceptions to those set forth in Article Eight;
(r) if the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be issued in global form, (i) any limitations on the rights of the Holder or Holders of such Securities to transfer or exchange the same or to obtain the registration of transfer thereof, (ii) any limitations on the rights of the Holder or Holders thereof to obtain certificates therefor in definitive form in lieu of global form and (iii) any other matters incidental to such Securities;
(s) if the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be issuable as bearer securities, any and all matters incidental thereto which are not specifically addressed in a supplemental indenture as contemplated by clause (g) of Section 1301;
(t) to the extent not established pursuant to clause (r) of this paragraph, any limitations on the rights of the Holders of the Securities of such Series, or any Tranche thereof, to transfer or exchange such Securities or to obtain the registration of transfer thereof; and if a service charge will be made for the registration of transfer or exchange of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, the amount or terms thereof;
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(u) any exceptions to Section 115, or variation in the definition of Business Day, with respect to the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof;
(v) whether the Securities of such series will have additional collateral security; and
(w) any other terms of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, that the Company may elect to specify.
With respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the indenture supplemental hereto or the Board Resolution which establishes such series, or the Officers Certificate pursuant to such supplemental indenture or Board Resolution, as the case may be, may provide general terms or parameters for Securities of such series and provide either that the specific terms of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be specified in a Company Order or that such terms shall be determined by the Company or its agents in accordance with procedures specified in a Company Order as contemplated in clause (b) of Section 303.
Unless otherwise provided with respect to a series of Securities as contemplated in Section 301(b), without the consent of any Holder, subject to Article Sixteen hereof, the aggregate principal amount of a series of Securities may be increased and additional Securities of such series may be issued up to the maximum aggregate principal amount authorized with respect to such series as increased.
SECTION 302. Denominations.
Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, the Securities of each series shall be issuable in denominations of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000) and any integral multiple thereof.
SECTION 303. Execution, Authentication, Delivery and Dating.
Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities or any Tranche thereof, the Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer, and may have the corporate seal of the Company affixed thereto or reproduced thereon attested by any other Authorized Officer or by the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company. The signature of any or all of these officers on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.
Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were at the time of execution Authorized Officers or the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them have ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such offices at the date of such Securities.
The Trustee shall authenticate and deliver Securities of a series for original issue, at one time or from time to time in accordance with the Company Order referred to below, upon receipt by the Trustee of:
(a) the instrument or instruments establishing the form or forms and terms of the Securities of such series, as provided in Sections 201 and 301;
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(b) a Company Order requesting the authentication and delivery of such Securities and, to the extent that the terms of such Securities shall not have been established in an indenture supplemental hereto or in a Board Resolution, or in an Officers Certificate pursuant to a supplemental indenture or Board Resolution, all as contemplated by Section 301, either (i) establishing such terms or (ii) in the case of Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, specifying procedures, acceptable to the Trustee, by which such terms are to be established (which procedures may provide, to the extent acceptable to the Trustee, for authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or any agent or agents thereof, which oral instructions are to be promptly confirmed electronically or in writing), in either case in accordance with the instrument or instruments establishing the terms of the Securities of such series delivered pursuant to clause (a) above;
(c) any opinions, certificates, documents and instruments required by Article Sixteen;
(d) Securities of such series, each executed on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer of the Company;
(e) an Officers Certificate (i) which shall comply with the requirements of Section 104 of this Indenture and (ii) which states that no Event of Default under this Indenture has occurred or is occurring; and
(f) an Opinion of Counsel which shall comply with the requirements of Section 104 of this Indenture and that states that:
(i) the form or forms of such Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;
(ii) the terms of such Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(iii) when such Securities shall have been authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued and delivered by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, such Securities will have been duly issued under this Indenture and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits provided by this Indenture, and enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject, as to enforcement, to laws relating to or affecting generally the enforcement of mortgagees and other creditors rights, including, without limitation, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and mortgagees generally and general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
provided, however, that, with respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee shall be provided with such Opinion of Counsel only once at or prior to the time of the first authentication and delivery of Securities of such series and that in lieu of the opinions described in clauses (ii) and (iii) above such Opinion of Counsel may, alternatively, state, respectively,
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(x) that, when the terms of such Securities shall have been established pursuant to a Company Order or Orders, or pursuant to such procedures as may be specified from time to time by a Company Order or Orders, all as contemplated by and in accordance with the instrument or instruments delivered pursuant to clause (a) above, such terms will have been duly authorized by the Company and will have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and
(y) that, such Securities, when (1) executed by the Company, (2) authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in accordance with this Indenture, (3) issued and delivered by the Company and (4) paid for, all as contemplated by and in accordance with the aforesaid Company Order or Orders, as the case may be, will have been duly issued under this Indenture and will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits provided by the Indenture, and enforceable in accordance with their terms, subject, as to enforcement, to laws relating to or affecting generally the enforcement of mortgagees and other creditors rights, including, without limitation, bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors and mortgagees generally and general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
With respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the authorization by the Company of any of such Securities, the forms and terms thereof and the legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability thereof, and compliance of the authentication and delivery thereof with the terms and conditions of this Indenture, upon the Opinion of Counsel and other documents delivered pursuant to Sections 201 and 301 and this Section, as applicable, at or prior to the time of the first authentication of Securities of such series, unless and until such opinion or other documents have been superseded or revoked or expire by their terms. In connection with the authentication and delivery of Securities of a series, pursuant to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee shall be entitled to assume that the Companys instructions to authenticate and deliver such Securities do not violate any applicable law or any applicable rule, regulation or order of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Company.
If the forms or terms of the Securities of any series have been established by or pursuant to a Board Resolution or an Officers Certificate as permitted by Sections 201 or 301, the Trustee shall not be required to authenticate such Securities if the issuance of such Securities pursuant to this Indenture will affect the Trustees own rights, duties or immunities under the Securities and this Indenture or otherwise in a manner which is not reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, no Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee or its agent by manual signature of an authorized officer thereof, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder to the Company, or any Person acting on its behalf, but shall never have been issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Trustee
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for cancellation as provided in Section 309 together with a written statement (which need not comply with Section 104 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel) stating that such Security has never been issued and sold by the Company, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits hereof.
SECTION 304. Global or Temporary Securities.
The Company may issue some or all of the Securities in temporary or permanent global form. The Company may issue a global Security only to a depository, including The Depository Trust Company, or other clearing corporation or securities intermediary, or its nominee. A depository or its nominee may transfer a Security in global form only to a nominee of a depository or to a successor depository, but upon request of such depository, the Company shall deliver non-global Securities in exchange for global Securities. A global Security shall represent the amount of Securities specified in the global Security. A global Security may have variations that the depository requires or that the Company considers appropriate for such a security, including grids for increasing or decreasing the principal amount of such Security. Beneficial owners of part or all of a global Security are subject to the rules of the depository as in effect from time to time. The Company, the Trustee and any Registrar and any Paying Agent shall not be responsible for any acts or omissions of a depository, for any depository records of beneficial ownership interests or for any transactions between the depository and beneficial owners.
Until definitive Securities are ready for delivery, the Company may use temporary Securities. Temporary Securities shall be substantially in the form of definitive Securities but may have variations that the Company considers appropriate for temporary Securities. Without unreasonable delay, the Company shall deliver definitive Securities in exchange for temporary Securities. Until exchanged in full as hereinabove provided, temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of the same series and Tranche and of like tenor authenticated and delivered hereunder.
SECTION 305. Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.
The Company shall cause to be kept in each office designated pursuant to Section 702, with respect to the Securities of each series, a register (all registers kept in accordance with this Section being collectively referred to as the Security Register) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, and the registration of transfer thereof. The Company shall designate one Person to maintain the Security Register for the Securities of each series on a consolidated basis, and such Person is referred to herein, with respect to such series, as the Security Registrar. Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may designate one or more of its offices as an office in which a register with respect to the Securities of one or more series shall be maintained, and the Company may designate itself the Security Registrar with respect to one or more of such series. The Security Register shall be open for inspection by the Trustee and the Company at all reasonable times.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the Trustee shall be the initial Security Registrar for each series of Securities.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security
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of such series or Tranche at the office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section 702 in a Place of Payment for such series or Tranche, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, any Security of such series or Tranche may be exchanged at the option of the Holder for one or more new Securities of the same series and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at any such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities, which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.
All Securities delivered upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same obligation, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.
Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company, the Trustee or the Security Registrar) be duly endorsed or shall be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee or the Security Registrar, as the case may be, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing. In each case, the Trustee, the Security Registrar or the Company may require a signature guaranty as evidence of due endorsement, execution or authorization.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, no service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 304, 506 or 1306 not involving any transfer.
The Company shall not be required to execute or to provide for the registration of transfer of or the exchange of (a) Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, during a period of 15 days immediately preceding the date notice is to be given identifying the serial numbers of the Securities of such series or Tranche called for redemption, (b) any Security during the 15 days before an Interest Payment Date or (c) any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.
SECTION 306. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.
If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same series and Tranche, and of like tenor and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a) evidence to their satisfaction of the ownership of and the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (b) such security or indemnity as may be reasonably required by them to save each of them and any agent of any of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and Tranche, and of like tenor and principal amount, bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.
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Notwithstanding the foregoing, in case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.
Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other reasonable expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) in connection therewith.
Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone other than the Holder of such new Security, and any such new Security shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of such series duly issued hereunder.
The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.
SECTION 307. Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.
Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.
Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein called Defaulted Interest) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the related Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election, as provided in clause (a) or (b) below:
(a) The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a date (a Special Record Date) for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust (and at the request of the Company, invested or reinvested in Government Obligations designated by the Company and maturing on or before the Special Record Date fixed by the Trustee, any interest accruing on such Government Obligations to be promptly paid over to the Company as received free and clear of any Lien) for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for
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the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than 15 days and not less than 10 days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than 10 days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company shall promptly cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Securities of such series at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register, not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date.
(b) The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable by the Trustee.
Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section and Section 305, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.
SECTION 308. Persons Deemed Owners.
Unless otherwise specified by Section 301 with respect to Securities of any series, prior to due presentment of a Security for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name such Security is registered as the absolute owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Sections 305 and 307) interest, if any, on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and none of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
SECTION 309. Cancellation.
All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange or for credit against any sinking fund payment shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Security Registrar, be delivered to the Security Registrar and, if not theretofore canceled, shall be promptly canceled by the Security Registrar. The Company may at any time deliver to the Security Registrar for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever or which the Company shall not have issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Trustee. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities canceled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All canceled Securities held by the Trustee shall be disposed of in accordance with the customary practices of the Trustee at the time in effect, and the Trustee shall not be required to destroy any such certificates. The Trustee shall promptly deliver a certificate of disposition to the Company unless, by a Company Order, similarly delivered, the Company shall direct that canceled Securities be returned to it. The Trustee shall promptly deliver evidence of any cancellation of a Security in accordance with this Section to the Company upon its request therefor.
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SECTION 310. Computation of Interest.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, or Tranche thereof, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a three hundred sixty (360) day year consisting of twelve (12) thirty (30) day months, and with respect to any period less than a full month, on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed during such period. For example, the interest for a period running from the 15 th day of one month to the 15 th day of the next month would be calculated on the basis of one 30-day month.
SECTION 311. Payment to Be in Proper Currency.
In the case of any Security denominated in any currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency (the Required Currency), except as otherwise specified with respect to such Security as contemplated by Section 301, the obligation of the Company to make any payment of the principal thereof, or the premium or interest thereon, shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender by the Company, or recovery by the Trustee, in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the Trustee timely holding the full amount of the Required Currency then due and payable. If any such tender or recovery is in a currency other than the Required Currency, the Trustee may take such actions as it considers appropriate to exchange such currency for the Required Currency. The costs and risks of any such exchange, including without limitation the risks of delay and exchange rate fluctuation, shall be borne by the Company, the Company shall remain fully liable for any shortfall or delinquency in the full amount of Required Currency then due and payable, and in no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable therefor except in the case of its negligence or willful misconduct.
SECTION 312. Extension of Interest Payment.
The Company shall have the right at any time, to extend interest payment periods on all the Securities of any series hereunder, if so specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Securities and upon such terms as may be specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Securities.
SECTION 313. CUSIP Numbers.
The Company in issuing the Securities may use CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Company, the Trustee or the Security Registrar may use CUSIP, ISIN or such other numbers in notices or redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the other identification numbers printed on the Securities, in which case none of the Company or, as the case may be, the Trustee or the Security Registrar, or any agent of any of them, shall have any liability in respect of any CUSIP, ISIN or other number used on any such notice, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee and Security Registrar of any change in the CUSIP, ISIN or other such number.
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ARTICLE FOUR
Security Agreement
SECTION 401. Security Agreement Fixture Filing.
This Indenture shall constitute a security agreement and, if filed in the appropriate filing office, a fixture filing within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code, as the same may be in effect from time to time in any State in which any portion of Collateral that constitutes personal property or fixtures may be located. The Company hereby grants to the Trustee a security interest in and to such personal property and fixtures for the benefit of the Trustee to secure the Securities.
ARTICLE FIVE
Redemption of Securities
SECTION 501. Applicability of Article.
Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series or Tranche) in accordance with this Article.
SECTION 502. Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.
The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution or an Officers Certificate. The Company shall, at least 40 days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee in writing of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of such Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Securities (a) prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture or (b) pursuant to an election of the Company that is subject to a condition specified in the terms of such Securities, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officers Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction or condition.
SECTION 503. Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed.
If less than all the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected by the Trustee from the Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranche not previously called for redemption, by such method as shall be provided for such particular series or Tranche, or in the absence of any such provision, by such method of random selection as the Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may, in any case, provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to any authorized denomination for Securities of such series or Tranche) of the principal amount of Securities of such series or Tranche of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of such series or Tranche; provided, however, that if, as indicated in an Officers Certificate, the Company shall have offered to purchase all or any principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding of any series, or any Tranche thereof, and less than all of such Securities as to which such offer was made shall have been tendered to the Company for such purchase, the Trustee, if so directed by Company Order, shall select for redemption all or any principal amount of such Securities which have not been so tendered.
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The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company and the Security Registrar in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected to be redeemed in part, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.
For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.
SECTION 504. Notice of Redemption.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided in Section 108 to the Holders of the Securities to be redeemed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date.
Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, all notices of redemption shall state:
(a) the Redemption Date,
(b) the Redemption Price (if known),
(c) if less than all the Securities of any series or Tranche are to be redeemed, the identification of the particular Securities to be redeemed and the portion of the principal amount of any Security to be redeemed in part,
(d) that on the Redemption Date, the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date, will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date,
(e) the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any, unless it shall have been specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Securities that such surrender shall not be required,
(f) that the redemption is for a sinking or other fund, if such is the case,
(g) the CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, if any, assigned to such Securities; provided, however, that such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of CUSIP, ISIN or other similar numbers, in which case none of the Company, the Trustee or any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall have any liability in respect of the use of any CUSIP, ISIN or other similar number or numbers on such notices, and the redemption of such Securities shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers, and
(h) such other matters as the Company shall deem desirable or appropriate.
Unless otherwise specified with respect to any Securities in accordance with Section 301, with respect to any notice of redemption of Securities at the election of the Company, unless, upon the
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giving of such notice, such Securities shall be deemed to have been paid in accordance with Section 801, such notice may state that such redemption shall be conditional upon the receipt by the Paying Agent or Agents for such Securities, on or prior to the date fixed for such redemption, of money sufficient to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on such Securities and that if such money shall not have been so received such notice shall be of no force or effect and the Company shall not be required to redeem such Securities. In the event that such notice of redemption contains such a condition and such money is not so received, the redemption shall not be made and within a reasonable time thereafter notice shall be given, in the manner in which the notice of redemption was given, that such money was not so received and such redemption was not required to be made, and the Paying Agent or Agents for the Securities otherwise to have been redeemed shall promptly return to the Holders thereof any of such Securities which had been surrendered for payment upon such redemption.
Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company, and any notice of non-satisfaction of a condition for redemption as aforesaid, shall be given by the Company or, at the Companys request, by the Security Registrar in the name and at the expense of the Company. Notice of any mandatory redemption of Securities shall be given by the Security Registrar in the name and at the expense of the Company.
SECTION 505. Securities Payable on Redemption Date.
Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, and the conditions, if any, set forth in such notice having been satisfied, the Securities or portions thereof so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless, in the case of an unconditional notice of redemption, the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any) such Securities or portions thereof, if interest-bearing, shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with such notice, such Security or portion thereof shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that no such surrender shall be a condition to such payment if so specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Security; and provided, further, that except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Security, any installment of interest on any Security the Stated Maturity of which installment is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holder of such Security, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the related Regular Record Date according to the terms of such Security and subject to the provisions of Sections 305 and 307.
SECTION 506. Securities Redeemed in Part.
Upon the surrender of any Security which is to be redeemed only in part at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security, without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series and Tranche, of any authorized denomination requested by such Holder and of like tenor and in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.
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ARTICLE SIX
Sinking Funds
SECTION 601. Applicability of Article.
The provisions of this Article shall be applicable to any sinking fund for the retirement of the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series or Tranche.
The minimum amount of any sinking fund payment provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, is herein referred to as a mandatory sinking fund payment, and any payment in excess of such minimum amount provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, is herein referred to as an optional sinking fund payment. If provided for by the terms of Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the cash amount of any sinking fund payment may be subject to reduction as provided in Section 602. Each sinking fund payment shall be applied to the redemption of Securities of the series or Tranche in respect of which it was made as provided for by the terms of such Securities.
SECTION 602. Satisfaction of Sinking Fund Payments with Securities.
The Company (a) may deliver to the Trustee Outstanding Securities (other than any previously called for redemption) of a series or Tranche in respect of which a mandatory sinking fund payment is to be made and (b) may apply as a credit Securities of such series or Tranche which have been redeemed either at the election of the Company pursuant to the terms of such Securities or through the application of permitted optional sinking fund payments pursuant to the terms of such Securities, in each case in satisfaction of all or any part of such mandatory sinking fund payment with respect to the Securities of such series; provided, however, that no Securities shall be applied in satisfaction of a mandatory sinking fund payment if such Securities shall have been previously so applied. Securities so applied shall be received and credited for such purpose by the Trustee at the Redemption Price specified in such Securities for redemption through operation of the sinking fund and the amount of such mandatory sinking fund payment shall be reduced accordingly.
SECTION 603. Redemption of Securities for Sinking Fund.
Not less than 40 days prior to each sinking fund payment date for the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers Certificate specifying:
(a) the amount of the next succeeding mandatory sinking fund payment for such series or Tranche;
(b) the amount, if any, of the optional sinking fund payment to be made together with such mandatory sinking fund payment;
(c) the aggregate sinking fund payment; and
(d) the portion, if any, of such aggregate sinking fund payment which is to be satisfied by the payment of cash;
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(e) the portion, if any, of such aggregate sinking fund payment which is to be satisfied by delivering and crediting Securities of such series or Tranche pursuant to Section 602 and stating the basis for such credit and that such Securities have not previously been so credited, and the Company shall also deliver to the Trustee any Securities to be so delivered.
If the Company shall not deliver such Officers Certificate and, to the extent applicable, all such Securities, the next succeeding sinking fund payment for such series or Tranche shall be made entirely in cash in the amount of the mandatory sinking fund payment. Not less than 30 days before each such sinking fund payment date the Trustee shall select the Securities to be redeemed upon such sinking fund payment date in the manner specified in Section 503 and cause notice of the redemption thereof to be given in the name of and at the expense of the Company in the manner provided in Section 504. Such notice having been duly given, the redemption of such Securities shall be made upon the terms and in the manner stated in Sections 505 and 506.
ARTICLE SEVEN
Representations and Covenants
SECTION 701. Payment of Securities; Lawful Possession.
(a) The Company shall pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of each series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.
(b) At the Execution Date, the Company is lawfully possessed of the Collateral and has sufficient right and authority to mortgage and pledge the Collateral, as provided in and by this Indenture.
SECTION 702. Maintenance of Office or Agency.
The Company shall maintain in each Place of Payment for the Securities of each series, or any Tranche thereof, an office or agency where payment of such Securities shall be made, where the registration of transfer or exchange of such Securities may be effected and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of each such office or agency and prompt notice to the Holders of any such change in the manner specified in Section 108. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, then payment of such Securities shall be made, registration of transfer or exchange thereof may be effected and notices and demands in respect of such Securities and this Indenture may be served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent for all such purposes in any such event.
The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies with respect to the Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche thereof, for any or all of the foregoing purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of such series or Tranche, no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency for such purposes in each Place of Payment for such Securities in accordance with the requirements set forth above. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee, and prompt notice to the Holders in the manner specified in Section 108, of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.
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Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, any office or agency required by this Section may be maintained at an office of the Company or an Affiliate of the Company, in which event the Company or such Affiliate shall perform all functions to be performed at such office or agency.
SECTION 703. Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.
If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on any of such Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal and premium or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any failure by the Company (or any other obligor on such Securities) to make any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Securities.
Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on such Securities, deposit with such Paying Agents sums sufficient (without duplication) to pay the principal and premium or interest so becoming due, such sums to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any failure by it so to act.
The Company shall cause each Paying Agent for the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, other than the Company or the Trustee, to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent shall:
(a) hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Securities in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;
(b) give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company (or any other obligor upon such Securities) to make any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Securities; and
(c) at any time during the continuance of any such failure, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent and furnish to the Trustee such information as it possesses regarding the names and addresses of the Persons entitled to such sums.
The Company may at any time pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent and, if so stated in a Company Order delivered to the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of Article Seven; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.
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Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal and premium, if any, or interest, if any, has become due and payable shall to the extent permitted by law be paid to the Company on Company Request, or, if then held by the Company, shall be discharged from such trust; and, upon such payment or discharge, the Holder of such Security shall, as an unsecured general creditor and not as the Holder of an Outstanding Security, look only to the Company for payment of the amount so due and payable and remaining unpaid unless the applicable law provides otherwise, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such payment to the Company, may at the expense of the Company cause to be mailed, on one occasion only, notice to such Holder that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than thirty (30) days from the date of such mailing, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be paid to the Company.
SECTION 704. Corporate Existence.
Subject to the rights of the Company under Article Twelve, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its legal existence as a corporation.
SECTION 705. Annual Officers Certificate as to Compliance.
Not later than April 30 in each year, commencing April 30, 2010, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officers Certificate which need not comply with the requirements of Section 104, executed by the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, as to such officers knowledge of the Companys compliance with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture, such compliance to be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice under this Indenture, and making any other statements as may be required by the provisions of Section 314(a)(4) of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 706. Recordation of Easement.
The Company shall promptly record the Easement (or any amendment thereto) at its own expense in the appropriate land records for each relevant county in the State of Maryland and shall do such further acts as may be necessary to carry out the purposes and intent of the Easement, including using commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that any Underlying Lease or Underlying Easement (in each case, as defined in the Easement) entered into by the Company after the date of the Easement shall permit the use and enjoyment of the rights granted to the Trustee under the Easement.
SECTION 707. Waiver of Certain Covenants.
The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in (a) Section 702 or any additional covenant or restriction specified with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, as contemplated by Section 301, if before the time for such compliance the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series and Tranches with respect to which compliance with Section 702 or such additional covenant or restriction is to be omitted, considered as one class, shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition and (b) Section 704, 705 or Article Twelve if before the time for such compliance the Holders of a majority in
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principal amount of Securities Outstanding under this Indenture shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition; but, in the case of (a) or (b), no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.
ARTICLE EIGHT
Satisfaction and Discharge
SECTION 801. Satisfaction and Discharge of Securities.
Any Security or Securities, or any portion of the principal amount thereof, shall be deemed to have been paid and no longer Outstanding for all purposes of this Indenture, and the entire indebtedness of the Company in respect thereof shall be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged, if there shall have been irrevocably deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company), in trust:
(a) money in an amount which shall be sufficient, or
(b) in the case of a deposit made prior to the Maturity of such Securities or portions thereof, Eligible Obligations, which shall not contain provisions permitting the redemption or other prepayment thereof at the option of the issuer thereof, the principal of and the interest on which when due, without any regard to reinvestment thereof, will provide moneys which, together with the money, if any, deposited with or held by the Trustee or such Paying Agent, shall be sufficient, or
(c) a combination of (a) or (b) which shall be sufficient,
to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, due and to become due on such Securities or portions thereof on or prior to Maturity; provided, however, that in the case of the provision for payment or redemption of less than all the Securities of any series or Tranche, such Securities or portions thereof shall have been selected by the Trustee as provided herein and, in the case of a redemption, the notice requisite to the validity of such redemption shall have been given or irrevocable authority shall have been given by the Company to the Trustee to give such notice, under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee; and provided, further, that the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee and such Paying Agent:
(x) if such deposit shall have been made prior to the Maturity of such Securities, a Company Order stating that the money and Eligible Obligations deposited in accordance with this Section shall be held in trust, as provided in Section 803;
(y) an Officers Certificate and Opinion of Counsel, each stating that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to the deemed payment and, if the Officers Certificate described in clause (z) below shall have been delivered, satisfaction and discharge of such Securities have been complied with; and
(z) if the Company intends such deposit to satisfy and discharge its indebtedness in respect of such Securities or portions thereof prior to the Maturity of such
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Securities or portion thereof, an Officers Certificate stating the Companys intention that, upon delivery of such Officers Certificate, its indebtedness in respect of such Securities or portions thereof will have been satisfied and discharged as contemplated in this Section.
Upon the deposit of money or Eligible Obligations, or both, in accordance with this Section, together with the documents required by clauses (x), (y) and (z) above, the Trustee shall, upon receipt of a Company Request, acknowledge in writing that the Security or Securities or portions thereof with respect to which such deposit was made are deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture and that the entire indebtedness of the Company in respect thereof has been satisfied and discharged as contemplated in this Section. In the event that all of the conditions set forth in the preceding paragraph shall have been satisfied in respect of any Securities or portions thereof except that, for any reason, the Officers Certificate specified in clause (z) shall not have been delivered, such Securities or portions thereof shall nevertheless be deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture, and the Holders of such Securities or portions thereof shall nevertheless be no longer entitled to the benefits provided by this Indenture, the Lien of this Indenture, or any of the covenants of the Company under Article Seven (except the covenants contained in Sections 702 and 703) or any other covenants made in respect of such Securities or portions thereof as contemplated by Section 301 or Section 1301(b), but the indebtedness of the Company in respect of such Securities or portions thereof shall not be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged prior to Maturity for any other purpose and the Holders of such Securities or portions thereof shall continue to be entitled to look to the Company for payment of the indebtedness represented thereby; and, upon Company Request, the Trustee shall acknowledge in writing that such Securities or portions thereof are deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture.
If payment at Stated Maturity of less than all of the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, is to be provided for in the manner and with the effect provided in this Section, the Trustee shall select such Securities, or portions of principal amount thereof, in the manner specified by Section 503 for selection for redemption of less than all the Securities of a series or Tranche.
In the event that Securities which shall be deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, and, if such is the case, in respect of which the Companys indebtedness shall have been satisfied and discharged, all as provided in this Section, do not mature and are not to be redeemed within the sixty (60) day period commencing with the date of the deposit of moneys or Eligible Obligations, as aforesaid, the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, give a notice, in the same manner as a notice of redemption with respect to such Securities, to the Holders of such Securities to the effect that such deposit has been made and the effect thereof.
Notwithstanding that any Securities shall be deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, as aforesaid, the obligations of the Company and the Trustee in respect of such Securities under Sections 304, 305, 306, 504, 702, 703, 1007 and 1015 and this Article shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.
The Company shall pay, and shall indemnify the Trustee or any Paying Agent with which Eligible Obligations shall have been deposited as provided in this Section against, any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against such Eligible Obligations or the principal or interest received in respect of such Eligible Obligations, including, but not limited to, any such tax payable by any entity deemed, for tax purposes, to have been created as a result of such deposit.
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Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, (a) if, at any time after a Security would be deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, and, if such is the case, the Companys indebtedness in respect thereof would be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged, pursuant to this Section (without regard to the provisions of this paragraph), the Trustee or any Paying Agent, as the case may be, (i) shall be required to return the money or Eligible Obligations, or combination thereof, deposited with it as aforesaid to the Company or its representative under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or (ii) is unable to apply any money in accordance with this Article with respect to any Securities by reason of any order or judgment of any court or Governmental Authority enjoining, restraining or otherwise prohibiting such application, such Security shall thereupon be deemed retroactively not to have been paid and any satisfaction and discharge of the Companys indebtedness in respect thereof shall retroactively be deemed not to have been effected, and such Security shall be deemed to remain Outstanding and (b) any satisfaction and discharge of the Companys indebtedness in respect of any Security shall be subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 703.
SECTION 802. Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.
This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter expressly provided), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute such instruments as the Company shall reasonably provide and request to evidence and acknowledge the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when:
(a) no Securities remain Outstanding hereunder; and
(b) the Company has paid or caused to be paid, or made provision acceptable to the Trustee for payment of, all other sums payable hereunder by the Company;
provided, however, that if, in accordance with the last paragraph of Section 801, any Security, previously deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, shall be deemed retroactively not to have been so paid, this Indenture shall thereupon be deemed retroactively not to have been satisfied and discharged, as aforesaid, and to remain in full force and effect, and the Company shall execute and deliver such instruments as the Trustee shall reasonably request to evidence and acknowledge the same.
Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as aforesaid, the obligations of the Company and the Trustee under Sections 304, 305, 306, 504, 702, 703, 1007 and 1015 and this Article shall survive such satisfaction and discharge.
Upon satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as provided in this Section, the Trustee shall assign, transfer and turn over to the Company, subject to the lien provided by Section 1007, any and all money, securities and other property then held by the Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities (other than money and Eligible Obligations held by the Trustee pursuant to Section 803) and shall execute and deliver to the Company such instruments as, in the judgment of the Company, shall be necessary, desirable or appropriate to effect or evidence the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.
SECTION 803. Application of Trust Money.
Neither the Eligible Obligations nor the money deposited pursuant to Section 801, nor the principal or interest payments on any such Eligible Obligations, shall be withdrawn or used for any purpose other than, and shall be held in trust for, the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities or portions of principal amount thereof in respect of which such deposit
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was made, all subject, however, to the provisions of Section 703; provided, however, that so long as there shall not have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default, any cash received from such principal or interest payments on such Eligible Obligations, if not then needed for such purpose, shall, to the extent practicable and upon Company Request and delivery to the Trustee of the documents referred to in clause (y) in the first paragraph of Section 801, be invested in Eligible Obligations of the type described in clause (b) in the first paragraph of Section 801 maturing at such times and in such amounts as shall be sufficient, together with any other moneys and the proceeds of any other Eligible Obligations then held by the Trustee, to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, due and to become due on such Securities or portions thereof on and prior to the Maturity thereof, and interest earned from such reinvestment shall be paid over to the Company as received, free and clear of any trust, lien or pledge under this Indenture (except the lien provided by Section 1007); and provided, further, that, so long as there shall not have occurred and be continuing an Event of Default, any moneys held in accordance with this Section on the Maturity of all such Securities in excess of the amount required to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, then due on such Securities shall be paid over to the Company free and clear of any trust, lien or pledge under this Indenture (except the lien provided by Section 1007); and provided, further, that if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, moneys to be paid over to the Company pursuant to this Section shall be held until such Event of Default shall have been waived or cured.
At any time before or after depositing any money or Eligible Obligations with the Trustee under this Article, the Company may by written notice to the Trustee irrevocably waive any or all of its rights (1) to any residual interest in such money or Eligible Obligations, including any interest earned or excess amounts, (2) to instruct the Trustee to sell or purchase Eligible Obligations or otherwise invest money or proceeds held in trust pursuant to this section, (3) to provide investment advice to the Trustee with respect to such money or Eligible Obligations, (4) to provide to the Trustee instructions or advice of counsel for the Company as to matters arising in connection with the Trustees servicing of the trust established pursuant to this section with respect to such money or Eligible Obligations, or (5) to any involvement with such money, Eligible Obligations or the trust established pursuant to this section.
ARTICLE NINE
Events of Default; Remedies
SECTION 901. Events of Default.
Event of Default, wherever used herein with respect to Securities, means any one of the following events:
(a) failure to pay any interest on any Security when it becomes due and payable and continuance of such default for a period of 30 days; provided, however, that no such default shall constitute an Event of Default if the Company has made a valid extension of the interest payment period with respect to the Securities of such series, of which such Security is a part, if so provided as contemplated by Section 301; or
(b) failure to pay the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security when it becomes due and payable; provided, however, that no such default shall constitute an Event of Default if the Company has made a valid extension of