FIRST AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
Exhibit 4.2
EXECUTION VERSION
EXECUTION VERSION
FIRST AMENDMENT TO AMENDED AND RESTATED CREDIT AGREEMENT
FIRST AMENDMENT, dated as of November 18, 2008 (this “Amendment”), to the Amended and
Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of June 29, 2007 (as heretofore amended, supplemented or
otherwise modified, the “Credit Agreement”), among CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC,
LLC, a Texas limited liability company (“Borrower”), the banks and other financial
institutions from time to time parties thereto (the “Banks”), BARCLAYS BANK PLC and
WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as co-syndication agent (in such capacity, the
“Co-Syndication Agents”), UBS SECURITIES LLC and DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES INC., as
co-documentation agents (in such capacities, the “Co-Documentation Agents”), and JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A., as administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”).
W I T N E S S E T H :
WHEREAS, the Borrower, the Banks, the Co-Syndication Agents, the Co-Documentation Agents and
the Administrative Agent are parties to the Credit Agreement;
WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested that the Banks agree to amend a certain provision
contained in the Credit Agreement, and the Banks and the Administrative Agent are agreeable to such
request upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises herein contained and for other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as
follows:
1. Defined Terms. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized terms used herein
which are defined in the Credit Agreement are used herein as therein defined.
2. Amendment to Section 1.1 of the Credit Agreement (Certain Defined Terms). Section
1.1 of the Credit Agreement is hereby amended by amending and restating the definition of
“Securitization Securities” to read as follows:
““Securitization Securities” means (i) transition bonds issued pursuant
to the Texas Electric Choice Plan if (and only if) no recourse may be had to the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (or to their respective assets) for the payment
of such obligations, other than the issuer of the bonds and its assets,
provided that payment of transition charges by any retail electric provider
(“REP”) in accordance with such legislation, whether or not such REP has
collected such charges from the retail electric customers, shall not be deemed
“recourse” hereunder, including any REP that is a Subsidiary of the Borrower or a
division of an Affiliate of the Borrower or any Affiliate of the Borrower and
(ii) bonds issued to securitize the regulatory assets and related rights of the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries arising in connection with the recovery of the
costs or restoration, repair and related matters following Hurricane Ike if (and
only if) recourse for the payment of debt service of such bonds is limited to such
regulatory assets and related rights; it being understood that obligations of the
“servicer” in the form of standard servicer undertakings shall not constitute
“recourse”.”.
3. Conditions to Effectiveness. This Amendment shall become effective as of the date
set forth above upon satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:
(a) the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts of this Amendment
executed by Borrower and the Majority Banks in accordance with Section 10.1 of the Credit
Agreement; and
(b) all corporate and other proceedings, and all documents, instruments and other legal
matters in connection with this Amendment shall be in form and substance reasonably
satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.
4. Reference to and Effect on the Loan Documents; Limited Effect. On and after the
date hereof and the satisfaction of the conditions contained in Section 4 of this Amendment, each
reference in the Credit Agreement to “this Agreement”, “hereunder”, “hereof” or words of like
import referring to the Credit Agreement, and each reference in the other Loan Documents to “the
Credit Agreement”, “thereunder”, “thereof” or words of like import referring to the Credit
Agreement, shall mean and be a reference to the Credit Agreement as amended hereby. The execution,
delivery and effectiveness of this Amendment shall not, except as expressly provided herein,
operate as a waiver of any right, power or remedy of any Bank or the Administrative Agent under any
of the Loan Documents, nor constitute a waiver of any provisions of any of the Loan Documents.
Except as expressly amended herein, all of the provisions and covenants of the Credit Agreement and
the other Loan Documents are and shall continue to remain in full force and effect in accordance
with the terms thereof and are hereby in all respects ratified and confirmed.
5. Representations and Warranties. The Borrower, as of the date hereof and after
giving effect to this Amendment, hereby confirms, reaffirms and restates the representations and
warranties made by it in Article VI of the Credit Agreement and otherwise in the Loan Documents to
which it is a party (except for those representations or warranties or parts thereof that, by their
terms, expressly relate solely to a specific date, in which case such representations and
warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such specific date);
provided that each reference to the Credit Agreement therein shall be deemed to be a
reference to the Credit Agreement after giving effect to this Amendment.
6. Costs and Expenses. The Borrower agrees to reimburse the Administrative Agent for
its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with this Amendment, including the reasonable
fees, charges and disbursements of counsel for the Administrative Agent.
7. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed by one or more of the parties hereto
in any number of separate counterparts (which may include counterparts delivered by facsimile
transmission) and all of said counterparts taken together shall be deemed to constitute one and the
same instrument. Any executed counterpart delivered by facsimile transmission shall be effective
as an original for all purposes hereof. The execution and delivery of this Amendment by any Bank
shall be binding upon each of its successors and assigns (including Transferees of its Commitments
and Loans in whole or in part prior to effectiveness hereof) and binding in respect of all of its
Commitments and Loans, including any acquired subsequent to its execution and delivery hereof and
prior to the effectiveness hereof.
8. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AMENDMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment to be executed and delivered
by their duly authorized officers as of the date first written above.
CENTERPOINT ENERGY HOUSTON ELECTRIC, LLC |
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By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxx Xxxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Vice President & Treasurer | |||
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Administrative Agent and as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Executive Director | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
ABN AMRO BANK N.V., as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ R. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |||
Name: | R. Xxxxx Xxxxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Director | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
Bank of America, N.A., as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxxxx | |||
Title: | Senior Vice President | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
The Bank of Nova Scotia, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Title: | Director |
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
THE BANK OF TOKYO-MITSUBISHI UFJ, LTD., NEW YORK BRANCH, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Title: | Authorized Signatory |
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
Barclays Bank PLC, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxx | |||
Title: | Director | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
CITIBANK, N.A., as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Nietzsche Rodricks | |||
Name: | Nietzsche Rodricks | |||
Title: | Vice President |
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
Comerica Bank, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
CREDIT SUISSE, CAYMAN ISLANDS
BRANCH, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxx Xxxxx | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxxxxxx Xxxxx | |||
Title: | Associate | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Director | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxx Xxxxx | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
HSBC Bank USA, National Association, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
XXXXXX XXXXXXX BANK, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Title: | Authorized Signatory | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
The Northern Trust Company, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Title: | Vice President | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
Royal Bank of Canada, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxx X. Xxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Authorized Signatory | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx | |||
Title: | Senior Vice President | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
Sun Trust Bank, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Director | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
UBS Loan Finance LLC, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxx X. Xxxx | |||
Title: | Associate Director | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxx X. Xxxxx | |||
Title: | Associate Director | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
Wachovia Bank, N.A., as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx | |||
Name: | Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxxxx | |||
Title: | Director | |||
Signature Page to
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
First Amendment to CEHE Credit Agreement
Xxxxx Fargo Bank, National Association, as a Bank |
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By: | /s/ Xxxxx X. Bjeide | |||
Name: | Xxxxx X. Bjeide | |||
Title: | Senior Vice President | |||