UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Exhibit
1(a)
PPL
ELECTRIC UTILITIES CORPORATION
$375,000,000
Senior
Secured Bonds, 7.125% Series due 2013
October
14, 2008
Barclays
Capital Inc.
BNP
Paribas Securities Corp.
Lazard
Capital Markets LLC
Scotia
Capital (USA) Inc.
As
Representatives of the Underwriters
c/o
Barclays Capital Inc.
000
Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
New York,
NY 10019
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
1.
|
Introductory.
|
PPL Electric
Utilities Corporation, a Pennsylvania corporation (“Company”), proposes
to issue and sell, and the several Underwriters named in Section 3 hereof (the
“Underwriters”), for
whom you are acting as representatives (the “Representatives”),
propose, severally and not jointly, to purchase, upon the terms and conditions
set forth herein, $375,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company’s
Senior Secured Bonds, 7.125% Series due 2013 (the “Bonds”) to be issued
under an Indenture, dated as of August 1, 2001, between the Company and The
Bank of New York Mellon, as trustee thereunder (the “Trustee”), as
supplemented by Supplemental Indenture No. 8 (“Supplemental Indenture
No. 8”), to be dated as of October 1, 2008 (as so supplemented, the
“Indenture”).
The Bonds will be initially secured by mortgage bonds (“Mortgage Bonds”) to
be issued by the Company in a like aggregate principal amount as the Bonds
pursuant to the Company’s Mortgage and Deed of Trust, dated as of
October 1, 1945, to Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (formerly Bankers
Trust Company, successor to Xxxxxx Guaranty Trust Company of New York, formerly
Guaranty Trust Company of New York), as trustee thereunder (the “Mortgage Trustee”),
as amended and supplemented by seventy indentures supplemental thereto (the
“Mortgage and Deed of
Trust”), and as to be amended and supplemented by a Seventy-Seventh
Supplemental Indenture to be dated as of October 1, 2008 (the “Seventy-Seventh Supplemental
Indenture ”) (such Mortgage and Deed of Trust and the Seventy-Seventh
Supplemental Indenture being hereinafter collectively referred to herein as the
“Mortgage”).
The Company
has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) an
automatic shelf registration statement (No. 333-132574-03) on Form S-3,
including the related preliminary prospectus or prospectus, which registration
statement became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e) (“Rule 462(e)”) of the
rules and regulations of the Commission (the “Securities Act
Regulations”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”). Such registration statement covers the registration of
the Bonds under the Securities Act. Promptly after the date of this
Agreement, the Company will prepare and file a prospectus in accordance with the
provisions of Rule 430B (“Rule 430B”) of the
Securities Act Regulations and paragraph (b) of Rule 424 (“Rule 424(b)”) of the
Securities Act Regulations. Any information included in such
prospectus that was omitted from such registration statement at the time it
became effective but that is deemed to be part of and included in such
registration statement pursuant to Rule 430B is referred to as “Rule 430B
Information.” Each prospectus used in connection with the
offering of the Bonds that omitted Rule 430B Information (other than a “free
writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations
that has not been approved in writing by the Company and the Representatives) is
herein called a “preliminary
prospectus.” Such registration statement, at any given time,
including the amendments thereto to such time, the exhibits and any schedules
thereto at such time, the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant
to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the Securities Act at such time and the documents
otherwise deemed to be a part thereof or included therein by the Securities Act
Regulations, is herein called the “Registration
Statement.” The Registration Statement at the time it
originally became effective is herein called the “Original Registration
Statement.” The final prospectus in the form first furnished
to the Underwriters for use in connection with the offering of the Bonds,
including the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of
Form S-3 under the Securities Act as of the date hereof and any preliminary
prospectuses that form a part thereof, is herein called the “Prospectus.” For
purposes of this Agreement, all references to the Registration Statement, any
preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement to any of
the foregoing shall be deemed to include the copy filed with the Commission
pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“XXXXX”).
All
references in this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other
information which is “contained,” “included” or “stated” in the Registration
Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus (or other references of
like import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such financial statements
and schedules and other information which is incorporated by reference in or
otherwise deemed by Securities Act Regulations to be a part of or included in
the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the
case may be; and all references in this Agreement to amendments or supplements
to the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus
shall be deemed to mean and include the filing of any document under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) which
is incorporated by reference in or otherwise deemed by Securities Act
Regulations to be a part of or included in the Registration Statement, such
preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus, as the case may be.
2.
|
Representations and
Warranties.
|
The Company
represents and warrants to each Underwriter as of the date hereof, as of the
Applicable Time referred to in Section 2(b) hereof and as of the Closing
Date referred to in Section 5 hereof, and agrees with each Underwriter as
follows:
(a) (A) At
the time of filing the Original Registration Statement, (B) at 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
Exchange Act or form of prospectus), (C) at the time the Company or any person
acting on its behalf (within the meaning, for this clause only, of Rule 163(c)
of the Securities Act Regulations) made any offer relating to the Bonds in
reliance on the exemption of Rule 163 of the Securities Act Regulations or made
a bona fide offer (within the meaning of Rule 164(h)(2) of the Securities Act
Regulations) and (D) at the date hereof, the Company was and is eligible to
register and issue the Bonds as a “well-known seasoned issuer” as defined in
Rule 405 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 405”), including
not having been and not being an “ineligible issuer” as defined in Rule
405. The Registration Statement is an “automatic shelf registration
statement,” as defined in Rule 405, and the Bonds, since their registration on
the Registration Statement, have been and remain eligible for registration by
the Company on a Rule 405 “automatic shelf registration
statement.” The Company has not received from the Commission any
notice pursuant to Rule 401(g)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations objecting to
the use of the automatic shelf registration statement form;
(b) The
Original Registration Statement became effective upon filing under Rule 462(e)
of the Securities Act Regulations on March 20, 2006, and any post-effective
amendment thereto also became effective upon filing under Rule
462(e). No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement has been issued under the Securities Act and no
proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or are pending or, to the
knowledge of the Company, are contemplated by the Commission, and any request on
the part of the Commission for additional information has been complied
with.
Any offer
that is a written communication relating to the Bonds made prior to the filing
of the Original Registration Statement by the Company or any person acting on
its behalf (within the meaning, for this paragraph only, of Rule 163(c) of the
Securities Act Regulations) has been filed with the Commission in accordance
with the exemption provided by Rule 163 of the Securities Act Regulations
(“Rule 163”)
and otherwise complied with the requirements of Rule 163, including without
limitation the legending requirement, to qualify such offer for the exemption
from Section 5(c) of the Securities Act provided by Rule 163.
At the
respective times the Original Registration Statement and each amendment thereto
became effective, at each deemed effective date with respect to the Underwriters
pursuant to Rule 430B(f)(2) of the Securities Act Regulations and at the Closing
Date, the Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material
respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Securities Act
Regulations and the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the “Trust Indenture Act”)
and the rules and regulations thereunder, and did not and will not contain an
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to
be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading.
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 an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
or will omit 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.
Each
preliminary prospectus (including the prospectus or prospectuses filed as part
of the Original Registration Statement or any amendment thereto) complied when
so filed in all material respects with the Securities Act Regulations and each
preliminary prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use
in connection with this offering was identical to the electronically transmitted
copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to XXXXX, except to the extent
permitted by Regulation S-T.
As of the
Applicable Time, neither (x) the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus(es)
(as defined below) issued at or prior to the Applicable Time (as defined below),
the Statutory Prospectus (as defined below) and the Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, including the Final Term Sheet prepared and filed pursuant to
Section 6(b) identified on Schedule A hereto, all considered together
(collectively, the “General Disclosure
Package”), nor (y) any individual Issuer Limited Use Free Writing
Prospectus (as defined below), when considered together with the General
Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
As of the
time of the filing of the Final Term Sheet, the General Disclosure Package, when
considered together with the Final Term Sheet (as defined in Section 6(b)), will
not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any
material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
As used
in this subsection and elsewhere in this Agreement:
“Applicable Time”
means 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 14, 2008 or such other time
as agreed by the Company and the Representatives.
“Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in
Rule 433 of the Securities Act Regulations (“Rule 433”), relating
to the Bonds that (i) is required to be filed with the Commission by the
Company, (ii) is a “road show that is a written communication” within the
meaning of Rule 433(d)(8)(i), whether or not required to be filed with the
Commission or (iii) is exempt from filing pursuant to Rule 433(d)(5)(i) because
it contains a description of the Bonds or of the offering that does not reflect
the final terms, in each case in the form filed or required to be filed with the
Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the
Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).
“Issuer General Use Free
Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is
intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its
being specified in Schedule A hereto.
“Issuer Limited Use Free
Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not
an Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus.
“Permitted Free Writing
Prospectus” means any free writing prospectus consented to in writing by
the Company and the Representatives. For the avoidance of doubt, any
free writing prospectus that is not consented to in writing by the Company does
not constitute a Permitted Free Writing Prospectus and will not be an Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus.
“Statutory Prospectus”
as of any time means the prospectus relating to the Bonds that is included in
the Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any
document incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other
prospectus deemed to be a part thereof.
Each
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times
through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Bonds or until any
earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as
described in Section 6(g), did not, does not and will not include any
information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information
contained in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, including any
document incorporated by reference therein and any preliminary or other
prospectus deemed to be a part thereof that has not been superseded or
modified.
The
representations and warranties in this subsection shall not apply to statements
in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Issuer
Free Writing Prospectus made in reliance upon and in conformity with written
information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the
Representatives expressly for use therein or to any statements in or omissions
from the Statement of Eligibility of the Trustee under the
Indenture. At the effective date of the Registration Statement, the
Indenture conformed in all material respects to the Trust Indenture Act and the
rules and regulations thereunder;
(c) The
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with corporate
power and authority to conduct its business as described in the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus and to enter and perform its obligations
under this Agreement, the Indenture, the Mortgage, the Bonds and the Mortgage
Bonds;
(d) The Bonds
have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued, authenticated and
delivered in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against
payment of the consideration therefor, will constitute valid and binding
obligations of the Company enforceable in accordance with their terms, except to
the extent limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance,
reorganization or moratorium laws or by other laws now or hereafter in effect
relating to or affecting the enforcement of mortgagee’s and other creditors’
rights and by general equitable principles (regardless of whether considered in
a proceeding in equity or at law), an implied covenant of good faith and fair
dealing and consideration of public policy, and federal or state securities law
limitations on indemnification and contribution (the “Enforceability
Exceptions”); the Bonds will be in the forms established pursuant to, and
entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture; and the Bonds will conform in all
material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the General
Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;
(e) The
Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, when Supplemental
Indenture No. 8 is executed and delivered by the Company, and assuming due
authorization, execution and delivery of Supplemental Indenture No. 8 by
the Trustee, will constitute a valid and legally binding obligation of the
Company enforceable in accordance with its terms (except to the extent limited
by the Enforceability Exceptions); the Indenture conforms and will conform in
all material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in the
General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus; and at the effective date of the
Registration Statement, the Indenture was duly qualified under the Trust
Indenture Act;
(f) The
Mortgage Bonds have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued,
authenticated and delivered in the manner provided for in the Mortgage, will
constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable in
accordance with their terms (except to the extent limited by the Enforceability
Exceptions); the Mortgage Bonds will be in the forms established pursuant to,
and entitled to the benefits of, the Mortgage; and the Mortgage Bonds will
conform in all material respects to the statements relating thereto contained in
the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;
(g) The
Mortgage has been duly authorized by the Company and, when the Seventy-Seventh
Supplemental Indenture is executed and delivered by the Company, and assuming
due authorization, execution and delivery of the Seventy-Seventh Supplemental
Indenture by the Mortgage Trustee, will constitute a valid and binding
obligation of the Company enforceable in accordance with its terms as it relates
to the Mortgage Bonds (except to the extent limited by the Enforceability
Exceptions); the Mortgage conforms and will conform in all material respects to
the statements relating thereto contained in the Prospectus; and at the
effective date of the Registration Statement, the Mortgage was duly qualified
under the Trust Indenture Act;
(h) The
Company is in compliance in all material respects with its Amended and Restated
Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws;
(i) There are
no Liens on the Mortgaged Property (as each of such terms is defined in the
Indenture) other than (i) the Lien of the Mortgage, (ii) those Liens described
in subsections (b) through (u) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” in the
Indenture or (iii) such other Liens as would not materially impair the value of
the Mortgaged Property, taken as a whole;
(j) The
securities certificate of the Company with respect to the Bonds and the Mortgage
Bonds has been duly registered pursuant to Section 1903 of the Pennsylvania
Public Utility Code (66 Pa. CS. § 1903), as amended, and such registration
remains in effect. Other than such registration, no further consent,
approval, authorization, order, registration or qualification of or with any
federal, state or local governmental agency or body or any federal, state or
local court is required to be obtained by the Company in connection with its
execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Indenture, the Mortgage, the Bonds
or the Mortgage Bonds, or the performance by the Company of its obligations
hereunder or thereunder, except such as have been obtained and such as may be
required under the blue sky laws of any jurisdiction in connection with the
purchase and distribution of the Bonds by the Underwriters in the manner
contemplated herein and in the Prospectus;
(k) Neither
the execution and delivery of this Agreement, Supplemental Indenture No. 8 or
the Seventy-Seventh Supplemental Indenture, the issue and sale of the Bonds or
the issuance of the Mortgage Bonds, nor the consummation of any of the
transactions herein or therein contemplated, will violate any law or any
regulation, order, writ, injunction or decree of any court or governmental
instrumentality applicable to the Company, or result in a breach or violation of
any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default under, the Company’s
amended and restated articles of incorporation or bylaws, or any material
agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it is bound
except for such breaches or defaults that would not in the aggregate have a
material adverse effect on the Company’s ability to perform its obligations
hereunder or thereunder;
(l) The
consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries, together
with the related notes and schedules, each set forth or incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement comply as to form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act and
the Exchange Act and the related published rules and regulations thereunder;
such audited financial statements have been prepared in all material respects in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied
throughout the periods involved, except as disclosed therein; and no material
modifications are required to be made to the unaudited interim financial
statements for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles;
(m) This
Agreement has been duly and validly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company;
(n) Since the
respective dates as of which information is given in the General Disclosure
Package and the Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein or contemplated
thereby, there has been no event or occurrence that would result in a material
adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company
and its subsidiaries taken as a whole;
(o) The
Company is not, and after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Bonds
and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in the Prospectus, will
not be, an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended;
(p) Xxxxx
& Young LLP, who have audited certain financial statements of the Company
and its consolidated subsidiaries and issued their report with respect to the
audited consolidated financial statements and schedules included and
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, is an independent registered public
accounting firm with respect to the Company during the periods covered by their
reports within the meaning of the Securities Act and the Securities Act
Regulations and the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
(United States) (“PCAOB”). Pricewaterhouse
Coopers LLP, who have audited financial statements as of December 31, 2005 and
for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2005 of the Company
and its subsidiaries and issued their report with respect to the audited
consolidated financial statements and schedule included and incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus, was the independent registered public accounting
firm for the Company as of December 31, 2005 and for each of the two years in
the period ended December 31, 2005 within the meaning of the Securities Act and
the Securities Act Regulations and the standards of the PCAOB; and
(q) The
Company maintains systems of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide
reasonable assurance that transactions are executed in accordance with
management’s authorizations and transactions are recorded as necessary to permit
preparation of financial statements. The Company maintains
“disclosure controls and procedures” as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(e)
under the Exchange Act.
Each of you, as one
of the several Underwriters, represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the
Company, its directors and such of its officers as shall have signed the
Registration Statement, and to each other Underwriter, that the information set
forth in Schedule B hereto furnished to the Company by or through you or on
your behalf expressly for use in the Registration Statement or the Prospectus
does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact and does not omit to
state a material fact in connection with such information required to be stated
therein or necessary to make such information not misleading.
3.
|
Purchase and Sale of
Bonds.
|
On the basis
of the representations, warranties and agreements herein contained, but subject
to the terms and conditions herein contained, the Company agrees to sell to the
Underwriters, and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase
from the Company, at a purchase price of 99.310% of the principal amount
thereof, plus accrued interest, if any, from the date of the first
authentication of the Bonds to the Closing Date (as hereinafter defined), the
respective principal amounts of the Bonds set forth below opposite the names of
such Underwriters.
Underwriters
|
Principal
Amount
of
Bonds
|
|
Barclays
Capital Inc.
|
$85,312,500
|
|
BNP
Paribas Securities Corp.
|
85,312,500
|
|
Lazard
Capital Markets LLC.
|
85,312,500
|
|
Scotia
Capital (USA) Inc
|
85,312,500
|
|
BNY
Mellon Capital Markets, LLC
|
11,250,000
|
|
PNC
Capital Markets LLC
|
11,250,000
|
|
U.S.
Bancorp Investments, Inc.
|
11,250,000
|
|
Total
|
$375,000,000
|
4.
|
Public
Offering.
|
The several
Underwriters agree that as soon as practicable, in their judgment, they will
make a public offering of their respective portions of the Bonds in accordance
with the terms set forth in the Prospectus.
5.
|
Delivery and
Payment.
|
The Bonds
will be represented by one or more definitive global securities in book-entry
form which will be deposited by or on behalf of the Company with The Depository
Trust Company (“DTC”) or its
designated custodian. The Company will deliver the Bonds to you
against payment by you of the purchase price therefor (such delivery and payment
herein referred to as the “Closing”) by wire
transfer of immediately available funds to the Company’s account
(No. 2-334-233) at Mellon Bank, N.A. (ABA Routing Number 000000000) by
10:00 a.m., New York City time, on the Closing Date. Such payment
shall be made upon delivery of the Bonds for the account of Barclays Capital
Inc. at DTC. The Bonds so to be delivered will be in fully registered
form in such authorized denominations as established pursuant to the Indenture.
The Company will make the Bonds available for inspection by you at the office of
The Bank of New York Mellon, 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx
00000, Attention: Xxxx Xxxxxxxxxx not later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time,
on the business day next preceding the Closing Date.
Each
Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior written
consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not and will not make any
offer relating to the Bonds that would constitute or would use an “issuer free
writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 433 or that would otherwise
constitute a “free writing prospectus” as defined in Rule 405 of the
Securities Act Regulations that would be required to be filed with the
Commission, other than information contained in the Final Term Sheet prepared in
accordance with Section 6(b).
The term
“Closing Date”
wherever used in this Agreement shall mean October 17, 2008, or such other
date (i) not later than the seventh full business day thereafter as maybe agreed
upon in writing by the Company and you, or (ii) as shall be determined by
postponement pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof.
6.
|
Certain Covenants of
the Company.
|
The Company covenants and agrees with
the several Underwriters:
(a) The
Company, subject to Section 6(b), will comply with the requirements of Rule 430B
and will notify the Representatives immediately, and confirm the notice in
writing, (i) when any post-effective amendment to the Registration Statement or
new registration statement relating to the Bonds shall become effective, or any
supplement to the Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed,
(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 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
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
Bonds. The Company will effect the filings required under Rule
424(b), in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424(b)
(without reliance on Rule 424(b)(8)). 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 Bonds within the time required by Rule 456(b)(1)(i) of the
Securities Act Regulations without regard to the proviso therein and otherwise
in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the Securities Act Regulations
(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 will give the Representatives notice of its intention to file or prepare
any amendment to the Registration Statement or new registration statement
relating to the Bonds or any amendment, supplement or revision to either any
preliminary prospectus (including any prospectus included in the Original
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 Representatives 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
Representatives shall reasonably object in writing. The Company will
give the Representatives notice of its intention to make any such filing
pursuant to the Exchange Act or Exchange Act Regulations from the Applicable
Time to the Closing Date and will furnish the Representatives 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 Representatives shall
reasonably object in writing. The Company will prepare a final term
sheet (the “Final Term
Sheet”) reflecting the final terms of the Bonds, in form and substance
reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, and shall file such Final Term
Sheet as an “Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” prior to the close of business two
Business Days after the date hereof (“Business Day” shall
mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a legal holiday or a day on
which banking institutions or trust companies are authorized or obligated by law
to close in The City of New York); provided that the
Company shall furnish the Representatives with copies of any such Final Term
Sheet a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing and will not use
or file any such document to which the Representatives shall reasonably object
in writing.
(c) To
furnish to each Underwriter, without charge, during the period when the
Prospectus is required to be delivered under the Securities Act, as many copies
of the Prospectus and any amendments and supplements thereto as each Underwriter
may reasonably request.
(d) That
before amending and supplementing the preliminary prospectus or the Prospectus,
they will furnish to the Representatives a copy of each such proposed amendment
or supplement and that it will not use any such proposed amendment or supplement
to which the Representatives reasonably object in writing.
(e) To use
its best efforts to qualify the Bonds and to assist in the qualification of the
Bonds by you or on your behalf for offer and sale under the securities or “blue
sky” laws of such jurisdictions as you may designate, to continue such
qualification in effect so long as required for the distribution of the Bonds
and to reimburse you for any expenses (including filing fees and fees and
disbursements of counsel) paid by you or on your behalf to qualify the Bonds for
offer and sale, to continue such qualification, to determine its eligibility for
investment and to print any preliminary or supplemental “blue sky” survey or
legal investment memorandum relating thereto; provided that the Company shall
not be required to qualify as a foreign corporation in any State, to consent to
service of process in any State other than with respect to claims arising out of
the offering or sale of the Bonds, or to meet any other requirement in
connection with this paragraph (e) deemed by the Company to be unduly
burdensome;
(f) Promptly
to deliver to you one signed copy of the Registration Statement as originally
filed and of all amendments thereto heretofore or hereafter filed, including
conformed copies of all exhibits except those incorporated by reference, and
such number of conformed copies of the Registration Statement (but excluding the
exhibits), each related preliminary prospectus, the Prospectus, and any
amendments and supplements thereto, as you may reasonably request;
(g) If at any
time prior to the completion of the sale of the Bonds by the Underwriters (as
determined by the Representatives), any event occurs as a result of which the
Prospectus, as then amended or supplemented, would include any untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the
statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made, not misleading, or if it should be necessary to amend or supplement the
Prospectus to comply with applicable law, the Company promptly (i) will notify
the Representatives of any such event; (ii) subject to the requirements of
paragraph (b) of this Section 6, will prepare an amendment or supplement that
will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and (iii)
will supply any supplemented or amended Prospectus to the several Underwriters
without charge in such quantities as they may reasonably request; provided that the
expense of preparing and filing any such amendment or supplement to the
prospectus (x) that is necessary in connection with such a delivery of a
supplemental or amended prospectus more than nine months after the date of this
Agreement or (y) that relates solely to the activities of any Underwriter
shall be borne by the Underwriter or Underwriters or the dealer or dealers
requiring the same; and provided further that you
shall, upon inquiry by the Company, advise the Company whether or not any
Underwriter or dealer which shall have been selected by you retains any unsold
Bonds and, for the purposes of this subsection (g), the Company shall be
entitled to assume that the distribution of the Bonds has been completed when
they are advised by you that no such Underwriter or dealer retains any
Bonds. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus, there occurs an event or development as a result of which such
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus would conflict with the information contained in
the Registration Statement (or any other registration statement related to the
Bonds) or the Statutory Prospectus or any preliminary prospectus would include
an untrue statement of a material fact 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 Representatives 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.
(h) As soon
as practicable to make generally available to its security holders an earnings
statement covering a period of at least twelve months beginning after the
“effective date of the registration statement” within the meaning of
Rule 158 under the Securities Act which will satisfy the provisions of
Section 11(a) of the Securities Act;
(i) To pay or
bear (i) all expenses in connection with the matters herein required to be
performed by the Company, including all expenses (except as provided in Section
6(g) above) in connection with the preparation and filing of the Registration
Statement and the Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement thereto, and the
furnishing of copies thereof to the Underwriters, and all audits, statements or
reports in connection therewith, and all expenses in connection with the issue
and delivery of the Bonds to the Underwriters at the place designated in Section
5 hereof, any fees and expenses relating to the eligibility and issuance of the
Bonds in book-entry form and the cost of obtaining CUSIP or other identification
numbers for the Bonds, all federal and state taxes (if any) payable (not
including any transfer taxes) upon the original issue of the Bonds;
(ii) all expenses in connection with the printing, reproduction and
delivery of this Agreement and the printing, reproduction and delivery of any
preliminary prospectus and each Prospectus, and (except as provided in
Section 6(g) above) any amendment or supplement thereto, to the
Underwriters; (iii) any and all fees payable in connection with the rating
of the Bonds; and (iv) the reasonable fees and expenses of the Trustee and
the Mortgage Trustee, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the
Trustee and the Mortgage Trustee, in connection with the Indenture, the
Mortgage, the Bonds and the Mortgage Bonds;
(j) During
the period from the date of this Agreement through the Closing Date, the Company
shall not, without the Underwriters’ prior written consent, directly or
indirectly, sell, offer to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise
dispose of, any Bonds, any security convertible into or exchangeable into or
exercisable for Bonds or any debt securities substantially similar to the Bonds
(except for the Bonds issued pursuant to this Agreement); and
(k) The
Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the
Representatives (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld), it has not made
and will not make any offer relating to the Bonds that would constitute an
Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or that would otherwise constitute a “free
writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act
Regulations, required to be filed with the Commission. 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
in accordance with the Securities Act Regulations.
7.
|
Conditions of
Underwriters’ Obligations.
|
The
obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Bonds on the
Closing Date shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and
warranties on the part of the Company contained herein at the date of this
Agreement and the Closing Date, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company
made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance
by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional
conditions:
(a) You shall
have received from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP a letter, dated the date of this
Agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to you and
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, confirming that PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was the
independent registered public accounting firm for the Company’s financial
statements as of December 31, 2005 and for each of the two years in the period
ended December 31, 2005 within the meaning of the Securities Act and the
Securities Act Regulations, and stating in effect that, in their opinion, the
consolidated financial statements and supplemental financial statement schedule
of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries audited by them and included or
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement comply as to form in all
material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities
Act and the Exchange Act, and the related published rules and regulations
thereunder.
(b) You shall
have received from Ernst & Young LLP a letter, dated the date of this
Agreement and the Closing Date, confirming that Ernst & Young LLP is an
independent registered public accounting firm with respect to the Company within
the meaning of the Securities Act and the Securities Act Regulations, and
that:
(i) they have
read the minutes of the meetings of the Company’s Board of Directors and
Executive, Compensation Processes and Procedures and Nominating Committees as
set forth in the minute books at a specified date not more than five business
days prior to the date of delivery of such letter;
(ii) they
have, if applicable, performed the procedures specified by the Public Company
Accounting Oversight Board (United States) for a review of interim financial
information as described in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 100, Interim
Financial Information, on the unaudited condensed interim financial statements
of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration
Statement and have read the unaudited interim financial data for the period from
the date of the latest balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in
the Registration Statement to the date of the latest available interim financial
data; and
(iii) on the
basis of the review referred to in clause (ii) above, a reading of the latest
available interim financial statements of the Company, they have performed
inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for
financial and accounting matters regarding the specific items for which
representations are requested below and other specified procedures, nothing came
to their attention that caused them to believe that:
(A) any
material modifications should be made to the unaudited interim financial
statements included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement
for them to be in conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles;
(B) the
unaudited interim financial statements included or incorporated by reference in
the Registration Statement do not comply as to form in all material respects
with the applicable accounting requirements of the Securities Act, the Exchange
Act and the related published rules and regulations thereunder;
(C) at the
date of the latest available balance sheet of the Company read by such
accountants, there was any change in the common stock, treasury stock or
preferred securities (with or without sinking fund requirements), or any
increase in long-term debt, as compared with amounts shown on the latest
consolidated balance sheet included or incorporated by reference in the
Registration Statement; or
(D) at a date
not more than five business days prior to the date of this Agreement, there was
any change in the common stock, treasury stock or preferred securities (with or
without sinking fund requirements), or any increase in long-term debt, as
compared with amounts shown on the latest consolidated balance sheet included or
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; except in all cases for
changes, increases or decreases that the Prospectus discloses have occurred or
may occur or that are described in such letter; and
(iv) they have
read certain financial and statistical amounts included or incorporated by
reference in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus, which amounts are
set forth in such letter and agreed such amounts to the Company’s accounting
records which are subject to controls over financial reporting or which have
been derived directly from such accounting records by analysis or computation
and have found such amounts to be in agreement with such results, except as
otherwise specified in such letter and such other procedures as the Underwriters
may request and Ernst & Young LLP is willing to perform and report
upon.
(c) The
Registration Statement shall have become effective and on the Closing Date no
stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement and/or any
notice objecting to its use shall have been issued under the Securities Act or
proceedings therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission, and any request
on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been
complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the
Underwriters. 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 Bonds within the time period required by
Rule 456(1)(i) of the Securities Act Regulations without regard to the
proviso therein and otherwise in accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) of the
Securities Act Regulations 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 the cover page of a prospectus filed pursuant to
Rule 424(b).
(d) Subsequent
to the execution of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred (i) any
material adverse change not contemplated by the Prospectus (as it exists on the
date hereof) in or affecting particularly the business or properties of the
Company which, in your judgment, materially impairs the investment quality of
the Bonds; (ii) any suspension or limitation of trading in securities
generally on the New York Stock Exchange, or any setting of minimum prices
for trading on such exchange, or any suspension of trading of any securities of
the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (iii) a
general banking moratorium declared by federal or New York authorities or a
material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in
the United States; (iv) any outbreak or escalation of major hostilities in
which the United States is involved, any declaration of war by Congress or any
other substantial national or international calamity or emergency if, in your
reasonable judgment, the effect of any such outbreak, escalation, declaration,
calamity or emergency makes it impractical and inadvisable to proceed with
completion of the sale of and payment for the Bonds and you shall have made a
similar determination with respect to all other underwritings of debt securities
of utility or energy companies in which you are participating and have a
contractual right to make such a determination; or (v) any decrease in the
ratings of the Bonds by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a Division of
The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc., Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc. or Fitch, Inc.
or any such organization shall have publicly announced that it has under
surveillance or review, with possible negative implications, its rating of the
Bonds.
(e) At or
before the Closing Date, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and any
other regulatory authority whose consent or approval shall be required for the
issue and sale of the Bonds by the Company shall have taken all requisite
action, or all such requisite action shall be deemed in fact and law to have
been taken, to authorize such issue and sale on the terms set forth in the
Prospectus, and such actions shall have become final and no longer subject to
appeal, and no appeal shall have been timely filed with respect to such
actions.
(f) You shall
have received from Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxx, Esq., Deputy General Counsel, or such
other counsel for the Company as may be acceptable to you, an opinion in form
and substance satisfactory to you, dated the Closing Date and addressed to you,
to the effect that:
(i) The
Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in
good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, with corporate
power and authority to own its properties and conduct its business as described
in the General Disclosure Package and the Prospectus;
(ii) The Bonds
have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming
due authentication and delivery by the Trustee in the manner provided for in the
Indenture and delivery against payment therefor, are valid and legally binding
obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits and security of the
Indenture, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms
(except to the extent limited by the Enforceability Exceptions);
(iii) The
Mortgage Bonds have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company
and, assuming due authentication and delivery by the Mortgage Trustee in the
manner provided for in the Mortgage and the Indenture, are valid and legally
binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in
accordance with their terms (except to the extent limited by the Enforceability
Exceptions); and the Mortgage Bonds are entitled to the benefits and security of
the Mortgage equally and ratably with all other bonds outstanding
thereunder;
(iv) The
Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and,
assuming due authorization, execution and delivery by the Trustee, constitutes a
valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the
Company in accordance with its terms (except to the extent limited by the
Enforceability Exceptions); no authorization, vote, consent or action by the
holders of any of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company is
necessary with respect to the execution and delivery by the Company of the
Supplemental Indenture No. 8;
(v) The
Mortgage has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, has
been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act, and, assuming due
authorization, execution and delivery by the Mortgage Trustee, constitutes a
valid and legally binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the
Company in accordance with its terms (except to the extent limited by the
Enforceability Exceptions);
(vi) The
Company has good and sufficient title to all the real property and personal
property described in the Indenture as owned by it and as subject to the lien
thereof, subject only to permitted liens as defined in Section 101 of the
Indenture (“Permitted
Liens”); the Indenture constitutes a valid direct mortgage lien that such
instrument purports to create upon said properties, subject only to Permitted
Liens (including the Mortgage), which properties include all of the physical
properties of the Company (except such property as may have been duly released
from the lien thereof and such property as may not be subjected to the lien
thereof under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without the delivery
thereof to the Trustee, and certain other classes of property expressly excepted
in the Indenture); and all physical properties (other than those of the
character not subject to the lien of the Indenture as aforesaid) acquired by the
Company after the respective dates of the Indenture and Supplement Indenture No.
8 have become or will, upon such acquisition, become subject to the lien
thereof, subject, however, to Permitted Liens;
(vii) The
Company has good and sufficient title to all the real property and personal
property described in the Mortgage as owned by it and as subject to the lien
thereof, subject only to (1) minor leases which, in the opinion of such
counsel, do not interfere with the Company’s business; (2) minor defects,
irregularities and deficiencies in titles of properties and rights-of-way which,
in the opinion of such counsel, do not materially impair the use of such
property and rights-of-way for the purposes for which they are held by the
Company; and (3) other excepted encumbrances as defined in Section 6 of the
Mortgage; the Mortgage, subject only as set forth above, constitutes a valid
direct first mortgage lien that such instrument purports to create upon said
properties, and said properties include all of the physical properties and
franchises of the Company (except such property as may have been duly released
from the lien thereof and such property as may not be subjected to the lien
thereof under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania without the delivery
thereof to the Trustee, and certain other classes of property expressly excepted
in the Indenture); and all physical properties and franchises (other than those
of the character not subject to the lien of the Mortgage as aforesaid) acquired
by the Company after the respective dates of the Mortgage and the
Seventy-Seventh Supplemental Indenture have become or will, upon such
acquisition, become subject to the lien thereof, subject, however, to excepted
encumbrances and to liens, if any, existing or placed thereon at the time of the
acquisition thereof by the Company;
(viii) The
Mortgage (other than the Seventy-Seventh Supplemental Indenture ) and the
Indenture (other than Supplemental Indenture No. 8) have been duly filed and
recorded in all jurisdictions in which it is necessary for such instruments to
be filed and recorded in order to constitute a lien of record on the property
subject thereto;
(ix) The
descriptions in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and
the Prospectus of statutes, legal and governmental proceedings and contracts and
other documents are accurate and fairly present the information required to be
shown; and (1) such counsel does not know of any legal or governmental
proceedings required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General
Disclosure Package or Prospectus which are not described, or of any contracts or
documents of a character required to be described in the Registration Statement,
any Statutory Prospectus or the Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the
Registration Statement which are not described and filed as required and (2)
nothing has come to the attention of such counsel that would lead such counsel
to believe either that the Registration Statement, at its effective date,
contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state
any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, or that the General Disclosure Package, as of
the Applicable Time, or that the Prospectus, as supplemented, as of the date of
this Agreement, and as it shall have been amended or supplemented, as of the
Closing Date, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or
omits or omitted to state any material fact necessary 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 express no opinion as to
the financial statements and other financial data contained in the Registration
Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Prospectus;
(x) This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company;
(xi) All
legally required proceedings in connection with the authorization and issue of
the Bonds and the Mortgage Bonds and the sale of the Bonds by the Company in the
manner set forth herein have been had and remain in effect; the Securities
Certificate of the Company with respect to the Bonds and the Mortgage Bonds has
been duly registered pursuant to Section 1903 of the Pennsylvania Public Utility
Code (66 Pa. CS. § 1903), as amended, and such registration remains in
effect, and all requisite action of public boards or bodies (other than in
connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or “blue sky”
laws of any jurisdiction, as to which such counsel need not express an opinion)
as may be legally required with respect to all or any of such matters or related
thereto has been taken and remains in effect;
(xii) Except as
described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the
Prospectus, the Company holds all franchises, certificates of public
convenience, licenses and permits necessary to carry on the utility business in
which it is engaged; and
(xiii) All taxes
payable to any State or subdivision thereof in connection with the execution,
delivery and recordation of the Mortgage, the Seventy-Seventh Supplemental
Indenture and the Indenture, the execution, authentication, issuance and
delivery of the Bonds and the Mortgage Bonds, and the mortgaging of property
under the Mortgage, the Seventy-Seventh Supplemental Indenture and the Indenture
have been paid.
In rendering
such opinion, such counsel may rely as to matters governed by New York law upon
the opinion of Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP referred to in Section 7(g) of this
Agreement.
(g) You shall
have received from Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP, special counsel to the Company, an
opinion in form and substance satisfactory to you, dated the Closing Date and
addressed to you, to the effect that:
(i) The Bonds
have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming
due authentication and delivery by the Trustee in the manner provided for in the
Indenture and delivery against payment therefor, are valid and legally binding
obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits and security of the
Indenture, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms
(except to the extent limited by the Enforceability Exceptions);
(ii) The
Mortgage Bonds have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company
and, assuming due authentication and delivery by the Mortgage Trustee in the
manner provided for in the Mortgage and the Indenture, are valid and legally
binding obligations of the Company entitled to the benefits and security of the
Mortgage, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (except
to the extent limited by the Enforceability Exceptions);
(iii) The
Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, is
duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and, assuming due authorization,
execution and delivery by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding
obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with
its terms (except to the extent limited the Enforceability
Exceptions);
(iv) The
Mortgage has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company, is
duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and, assuming due authorization,
execution and delivery by the Mortgage Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally
binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance
with its terms (except to the extent limited by the Enforceability
Exceptions);
(v) (1) The
Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act, and any
preliminary prospectus included in the General Disclosure Package at the
Applicable Time and the Prospectus were filed with the Commission pursuant to
the subparagraph of Rule 424(b) specified in such opinion on the date or
dates specified therein, and the Issuer General Use Free Writing Prospectus
described in Schedule A attached hereto was filed with the Commission
pursuant to Rule 433 on the date specified in such opinion; (2) to the
best of the knowledge of such counsel after inquiry of the Company and the staff
of the Commission, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the
Registration Statement or any part thereof has been issued and no proceedings
for that purpose have been instituted under the Securities Act; (3) the
Registration Statement, as of its effective date, the General Disclosure
Package, as of the Applicable Time, the Prospectus, as of the date of this
Agreement, and any amendment or supplement thereto, as of its date, appeared on
their face to comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements
of the Securities Act, the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations
thereunder; and (4) nothing has come to the attention of such counsel that
would lead such counsel to believe either that the Registration Statement, as of
its effective date, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted
to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make
the statements therein not misleading; the General Disclosure Package, as of the
Applicable Time, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to
state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in light of
the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; or that the
Prospectus, as supplemented, as of the date of this Agreement, and as it shall
have been amended or supplemented, as of the Closing Date, contained or contains
any untrue statement of a material fact or omits or omitted to state any
material fact necessary 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 express no opinion as to the financial statements and
other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in
the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the
Prospectus;
(vi) The
statements in the Prospectus under the caption “Description of the Offered
Bonds”, insofar as they purport to constitute summaries of certain terms of the
Indenture, the Bonds, the Mortgage and the Mortgage Bonds, in each case
constitute accurate summaries of such terms of such documents and securities, in
all material respects;
(vii) This
Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the
Company;
(viii) If
notwithstanding the intention of the parties expressed in Section 1701 of the
Indenture, it shall be finally determined by an appropriate court that the
Company has any interest in the Mortgage Bonds delivered to and registered in
the name of the Trustee as the basis for the issuance of the Bonds, then the
Indenture is sufficient to create a valid security interest under the Uniform
Commercial Code in effect in the State of New York (the “NYUCC”) in such
interest of the Company in the Mortgage Bonds. Assuming continuing registration
of the Mortgage Bonds in the name of the Trustee and continuing possession of
the Mortgage Bonds by the Trustee in New York, such security interest is
perfected by control under the provisions of the NYUCC and such security
interest has priority over any other security interest in such interest of the
Company in the Mortgage Bonds the perfection and priority of which is governed
by NYUCC;
(ix) No
consent, approval, authorization or other order of any public board or body of
the United States or the State of New York (except for the registration of the
Bonds under the Securities Act and the qualification of the Indenture under the
Trust Indenture Act and other than in connection or compliance with the
provisions of the securities or “blue sky” laws of any jurisdiction, as to which
such counsel need express no opinion) is legally required for the authorization
of the issuance of the Bonds in the manner contemplated herein and in the
Prospectus; and
(x) The
Company is not an “investment company” as such term is defined in the Investment
Company Act of 1940, as amended.
In
rendering such opinion, Xxxxx & XxXxxxx LLP may rely as to matters governed
by Pennsylvania law upon the opinion of Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxx, Esq. or such other
counsel referred to in subsection (f).
(h) You shall
have received from Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP, counsel for the Underwriters,
such opinion or opinions in form and substance satisfactory to you, dated the
Closing Date, with respect to matters as you may require, and the Company shall
have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of
enabling them to pass upon such matters. In rendering such opinion or
opinions, Xxxxxxxx & Xxxxxxxx LLP may rely as to matters governed by
Pennsylvania law upon the opinion of Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxx, Esq. or such other
counsel referred to above.
(i) You shall
have received a certificate, dated the Closing Date, of an executive officer and
a financial or accounting officer of the Company, in which such officers, to the
best of their knowledge after reasonable investigation, shall state that (i) the
representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and
correct in all material respects as of the Closing Date, (ii) the Company has
complied in all material respects with all agreements and satisfied all
conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied at or prior to the Closing
Date, (iii) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement has been issued, and no proceedings for that purpose have been
instituted or are pending by the Commission, and (iv) subsequent to the date of
the latest financial statements in the Prospectus, there has been no material
adverse change in the financial position or results of operations of the Company
except as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus; and
(j) You shall
have received from the Company a copy of the rating letters from Standard &
Poor’s Rating Service, Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc. and Fitch, Inc. assigning
ratings on the Bonds of at least A-, A3 and A-, respectively.
The
Company will furnish you as promptly as practicable after the Closing Date with
such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as
you may 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 telegram to the Company without
liability or obligation on the part of the Company or any Underwriter, except as
provided in Sections 6(e), 6(i), 9, 11 and 14 hereof.
8.
|
Conditions of
Company’s Obligations.
|
The
obligations of the Company to sell and deliver the Bonds on the Closing Date are
subject to the following conditions:
(a) At the
Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration
Statement shall be in effect or proceeding therefor shall have been instituted
or, to the knowledge of the Company, shall be contemplated.
(b) At or
before the Closing Date, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and any
other regulatory authority whose consent or approval shall be required for the
issue and the sale of the Bonds and the issuance of the Mortgage Bonds by the
Company as herein provided shall have taken all requisite action, or all
requisite action shall be deemed in fact and law to have been taken, to
authorize such issue and sale on the terms set forth in the
Prospectus.
If any such
conditions shall not have been satisfied, then the Company shall be entitled, by
notice in writing or by telegram to you, to terminate this Agreement without any
liability on the part of the Company or any Underwriter, except as provided in
Sections 6(e), 6(i), 9, 11 and 14 hereof.
9.
|
Indemnification and
Contribution.
|
(a) The
Company agrees that it will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter and the
officers and directors of each Underwriter and each person, if any, who controls
any Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act,
against any loss, expense, claim, damage or liability to which, jointly or
severally, such Underwriter or such controlling person may become subject, under
the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as such loss, expense, claim, damage or
liability (or actions in respect thereof) arises out of or is based upon any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in
the Registration Statement, any Statutory Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement to any thereof, or
arises out of or is based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein
any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading and, except as hereinafter in this Section
provided, the Company agrees to reimburse each Underwriter and each person who
controls any Underwriter as aforesaid for any reasonable legal or other expenses
as incurred by such Underwriter or such controlling person in connection with
investigating or defending any such loss, expense, claim, damage or liability;
provided, however, that the Company shall not be liable in any such case to the
extent that any such loss, expense, claim, damage or liability arises out of or
is based on an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission made in any such document in reliance upon, and in conformity
with, written information furnished to the Company as set forth in Schedule B
hereto by or through you on behalf of any Underwriter expressly for use in any
such document or arises out of, or is based on, statements or omissions from the
part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statement of
Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of the Trustee under the
Indenture.
(b) Each
Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees that it will indemnify and hold
harmless the Company and its officers and directors, and each of them, and each
person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the
Securities Act, against any loss, expense, claim, damage or liability to which
it or they may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise, insofar as
such loss, expense, claim, damage or liability (or actions in respect thereof)
arises out of or is based on any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of
any material fact contained in the Statutory Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing
Prospectus or the Prospectus, or any amendment or supplement to any thereof, or
arises out of or is based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein
any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, and only to the
extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or
alleged omission was made in any such documents in reliance upon, and in
conformity with, written information furnished to the Company as set forth in
Schedule B hereto by or through you on behalf of such Underwriter expressly for
use in any such document; and, except as hereinafter in this Section provided,
each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to reimburse the Company and
its officers and directors, and each of them, and each person, if any, who
controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the Securities Act, for
any reasonable legal or other expenses incurred by it or them in connection with
investigating or defending any such loss, expense, claim, damage or
liability.
(c) Upon
receipt of notice of the commencement of any action against an indemnified
party, the indemnified party shall, with reasonable promptness, if a claim in
respect thereof is to be made against an indemnifying party under its agreement
contained in this Section 9, notify such indemnifying party in writing of the
commencement thereof; but the omission so to notify an indemnifying party shall
not relieve it from any liability which it may have to the indemnified party
otherwise than under its agreement contained in this Section 9. In
the case of any such notice to an indemnifying party, the indemnifying party
shall be entitled to participate at its own expense in the defense, or if it so
elects, to assume the defense, of any such action, but, if it elects to assume
the defense, such defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by it and
satisfactory to the indemnified party and to any other indemnifying party that
is a defendant in the suit. In the event that any indemnifying party
elects to assume the defense of any such action and retain such counsel, the
indemnified party shall bear the fees and expenses of any additional counsel
retained by it. No indemnifying party shall be liable in the event of
any settlement of any such action effected without its consent. Each
indemnified party agrees promptly to notify each indemnifying party of the
commencement of any litigation or proceedings against it in connection with the
issue and sale of the Bonds.
(d) If any
Underwriter or person entitled to indemnification by the terms of subsection (a)
of this Section 9 shall have given notice to the Company of a claim in respect
thereof pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section 9, and if such claim for
indemnification is thereafter held by a court to be unavailable for any reason
other than by reason of the terms of this Section 9 or if such claim is
unavailable under controlling precedent, such Underwriter or person shall be
entitled to contribution from the Company for 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
such Underwriter or person is entitled, there shall be considered the relative
benefits received by such Underwriter or person and the Company from the
offering of the Bonds that were the subject of the claim for indemnification
(taking into account the portion of the proceeds of the offering realized by
each), the Underwriter or person’s 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. The
Company and the Underwriters 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 Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose).
(e) No
indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified
parties, settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to any litigation, or any investigation or proceeding by any
governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened, or any claim whatsoever in
respect of which indemnification or contribution could be sought under this
Section 9 (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential
parties thereto), unless such settlement, compromise or consent (i) includes an
unconditional release of each indemnified party and all liability arising out of
such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim, and (ii) does not
include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or the failure
to act by or on behalf of any indemnified party.
(f) The
indemnity and contribution provided for in this Section 9 and the
representations and warranties of the Company and the several Underwriters set
forth in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect
regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or
any person controlling any Underwriter or the Company or its directors or
officers, (ii) the acceptance of any Bonds and payment therefor under this
Agreement, and (iii) any termination of this Agreement.
10.
|
Default of
Underwriters.
|
If any
Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to purchase Bonds
hereunder, the non-defaulting Underwriters may make arrangements satisfactory to
the Company for the purchase of such Bonds by other persons, including any of
the non-defaulting Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by the
Closing Date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated, severally in the
proportion which their respective commitments hereunder bear to the total
commitment of the non-defaulting Underwriters, to purchase the Bonds which such
defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to
purchase. In the event that any Underwriter or Underwriters default
in their obligations to purchase Bonds hereunder, the Company may by prompt
written notice to non-defaulting Underwriters 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 Prospectus which
may thereby be made necessary. As used in this Agreement, the term
“Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this
Section. Nothing herein will relieve an Underwriter from liability
for its default.
11.
|
Survival of Certain
Representations and
Obligations.
|
The
respective indemnities, agreements, representations and warranties of the
Company and of or on behalf of the several Underwriters 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 Underwriter or the Company or any of its officers or directors or any
controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the
Bonds. If for any reason the purchase of the Bonds by the
Underwriters is not consummated, the Company shall remain responsible for the
expenses to be paid or reimbursed by it pursuant to Section 6, and the
respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 9
hereof shall remain in effect.
12.
|
Notices.
|
The Company
shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or
agreement on behalf of each of the Underwriters if the same shall have been made
or given by you jointly or by Barclays Capital Inc. All statements,
requests, notices, consents and agreements hereunder shall be in writing, or by
telegraph subsequently confirmed in writing, and, if to the Company, shall be
sufficient in all respects if delivered or mailed to the Company at Two North
Ninth Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania 18101 (facsimile: 610-774-5235),
Attn: Treasurer, and, if to you, shall be sufficient in all respects
if delivered or mailed to you at the address set forth on the first page hereof
(a copy of which shall be sent to Barclays Capital Inc., 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx
Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attn: Fixed Income Syndicate
(facsimile: 212-·)); provided, however, that
any notice to an Underwriter pursuant to Section 9 hereof will also be delivered
or mailed to such Underwriter at the address, if any, of such Underwriter
furnished to the Company in writing for the purpose of communications
hereunder.
13.
|
Parties in
Interest.
|
This
Agreement shall inure solely to the benefit of the Company and the Underwriters
and, to the extent provided in Section 9 hereof, to any person who controls any
Underwriter, to the officers and directors of the Company, and to any person who
controls the Company, and their respective successors. No other
person, partnership, association or corporation shall acquire or have any right
under or by virtue of this Agreement. The term “successor” shall not
include any assignee of an Underwriter (other than one who shall acquire all or
substantially all of such Underwriter’s business and properties), nor shall it
include any purchaser of Bonds from any Underwriter merely because of such
purchase.
14.
|
No Advisory or
Fiduciary Relationship.
|
The Company
acknowledges and agrees that (a) the purchase and sale of the Bonds pursuant to
this Agreement, including the determination of the public offering price of the
Bonds and any related discounts and commissions, is an arm’s-length commercial
transaction between the Company, on the one hand, and the several Underwriters,
on the other hand, (b) in connection with the offering contemplated hereby and
the process leading to such transaction, each Underwriter is and has been acting
solely as a principal and is not the agent or fiduciary of the Company, or its
stockholders, creditors, employees or any other party, (c) no Underwriter has
assumed or will assume an advisory or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the
Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby or the process leading
thereto (irrespective of whether such Underwriter has advised or is currently
advising the Company on other matters) and no Underwriter has any obligation to
the Company with respect to the offering contemplated hereby except the
obligations expressly set forth in this Agreement, (d) the Underwriters and
their respective affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that
involve interests that differ from those of the Company, and (e) the
Underwriters have not provided any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice
with respect to the offering contemplated hereby and the Company has consulted
its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it deemed
appropriate.
15.
|
Representation of
Underwriters.
|
Any action
under this Agreement taken by the Representatives will be binding upon all the
Underwriters.
16.
|
Counterparts.
|
This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be
deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute
one and the same Agreement.
17.
|
Effectiveness.
|
This
Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the
parties hereto.
18.
|
Headings.
|
The headings
of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of
reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
19.
|
Applicable
Law.
|
This
Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of
the State of New York.
Please
confirm that the foregoing correctly sets forth the agreement between us by
signing in the space provided below for that purpose, whereupon this letter
shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company and the several
Underwriters in accordance with its terms.
Yours
very truly,
PPL
ELECTRIC UTILITIES CORPORATION
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxx
Name: Xxxxx
X. Xxxx
Title: Treasurer
The
foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby
confirmed
and accepted as of the date first above written.
BARCLAYS
CAPITAL INC.
/s/ Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Name: Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx
Title: Director
BNP
PARIBAS SECURITIES CORP.
/s/ Xxx
Xxxxxx
Name: Xxx
Xxxxxx
Title: Managing
Director
Head
of Debt Captial Markets
SCOTIA
CAPITAL (USA) INC.
/s/ Xxxx
Xxxxx
Name: Xxxx
Xxxxx
Title: Managing
Director
LAZARD
CAPITAL MARKETS LLC
/s/ Xxxxx X. XxXxxxxx,
Xx.
Name: Xxxxx
X. XxXxxxxx, Xx.
Title: Managing
Director
Acting
severally on behalf of
themselves
and as Representatives of
the
several Underwriters named in
Section 3
hereof.
SCHEDULE
A
Issuer General Use Free
Writing Prospectus
1.
|
Final
Terms and Conditions, dated October 14, 2008, for $375,000,000
aggregate principal amount of 7.125% Senior Secured Bonds due 2013 filed
with the Commission by the Company pursuant to Rule 433 under the
Securities Act.
|
SCHEDULE
B
Information
Represented and Warranted by the Underwriters
Pursuant to Section 2 of
Underwriting Agreement
1.
|
The
third paragraph under the caption “Underwriting” in the Prospectus
Supplement;
|
2.
|
The
second and third sentence of the fourth paragraph under the caption
“Underwriting” in the Prospectus Supplement;
and
|
3.
|
The
fifth, sixth and seventh paragraphs under the heading “Underwriting” in
the Prospectus Supplement.
|