CREDIT AGREEMENT DATED AS OF JUNE 25, 2008 among AMEREN CORPORATION, as Borrower THE LENDERS FROM TIME TO TIME PARTIES HERETO and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as Agent BARCLAYS BANK PLC, as Syndication Agent THE BANK OF TOKYO - MITSUBISHI UFJ, LTD., and...
DATED
AS OF JUNE 25, 2008
among
AMEREN
CORPORATION,
as
Borrower
THE
LENDERS FROM TIME TO TIME PARTIES HERETO
and
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A.,
as
Agent
BARCLAYS
BANK PLC,
as
Syndication Agent
THE
BANK OF TOKYO - MITSUBISHI UFJ, LTD., and
BNP
PARIBAS,
as
Co-Documentation Agents
_____________________________________________________
X.
X. XXXXXX SECURITIES INC.,
AS
SOLE LEAD ARRANGER AND SOLE BOOKRUNNER
ARTICLE I
|
DEFINITIONS
|
1
|
1.1
|
Certain Defined Terms | 1 |
1.2.
|
Plural
Forms
|
17
|
ARTICLE
II
|
THE
CREDITS
|
17
|
2.1.
|
Commitment
|
17
|
2.2.
|
Required
Payments; Termination
|
17
|
2.3.
|
Loans
|
17
|
2.4.
|
[omitted]
|
18
|
2.5.
|
[omitted]
|
18
|
2.6.
|
[omitted]
|
18
|
2.7.
|
Types
of Advances
|
18
|
2.8.
|
Termination
of and Reductions in Commitment
|
18
|
2.9.
|
Minimum
Amount of Each Advance
|
18
|
2.10.
|
Prepayments
|
18
|
2.11.
|
Method
of Selecting Types and Interest Periods for New Advances
|
19
|
2.12.
|
Conversion
and Continuation of Outstanding Advances; No Conversion or
Continuation
of Eurodollar Advances After Default
|
19
|
2.13.
|
Interest
Rates, etc
|
20
|
2.14.
|
Rates
Applicable After Default
|
20
|
2.15.
|
Funding
of Loans; Method of Payment
|
21
|
2.16.
|
Noteless
Agreement; Evidence of Indebtedness
|
21
|
2.17.
|
Telephonic
Notices
|
21
|
2.18.
|
Interest
Payment Dates; Interest Basis
|
22
|
2.19.
|
Notification
of Advances, Interest Rates, Prepayments and Commitment
Reductions;
Availability of Loans
|
22
|
2.20.
|
Lending
Installations
|
22
|
2.21.
|
Non-Receipt
of Funds by the Agent
|
23
|
2.22.
|
Replacement
of Lender
|
23
|
ARTICLE
III
|
YIELD
PROTECTION; TAXES
|
23
|
3.1.
|
Yield
Protection
|
23
|
3.2.
|
Changes
in Capital Adequacy Regulations
|
24
|
3.3.
|
Availability
of Types of Advances
|
25
|
3.4.
|
Funding
Indemnification
|
25
|
3.5.
|
Taxes.
|
25
|
3.6.
|
Lender
Statements; Survival of Indemnity
|
27
|
3.7.
|
Alternative
Lending Installation
|
28
|
ARTICLE
IV
|
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
|
28
|
4.1.
|
Closing
Date
|
28
|
ARTICLE
V
|
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
|
30
|
5.1.
|
Existence
and Standing
|
30
|
5.2.
|
Authorization
and Validity
|
30
|
5.3.
|
No
Conflict; Government Consent
|
30
|
5.4.
|
Financial
Statements
|
31
|
5.5.
|
Material
Adverse Change
|
31
|
5.6.
|
Taxes
|
31
|
5.7.
|
Litigation
and Contingent Obligations
|
31
|
5.8.
|
Subsidiaries
|
32
|
5.9.
|
ERISA
|
32
|
5.10.
|
Accuracy
of Information
|
32
|
5.11.
|
Regulation
U
|
32
|
5.12.
|
Material
Agreements
|
32
|
5.13.
|
Compliance
With Laws
|
32
|
5.14.
|
Ownership
of Properties
|
33
|
5.15.
|
Plan
Assets; Prohibited Transactions
|
33
|
5.16.
|
Environmental
Matters
|
33
|
5.17.
|
Investment
Company Act
|
33
|
5.18.
|
Regulatory
Matters
|
33
|
5.19.
|
Insurance
|
33
|
5.20.
|
No
Default or Unmatured Default
|
33
|
ARTICLE
VI
|
COVENANTS
|
34
|
6.1.
|
Financial
Reporting
|
34
|
6.2.
|
Use
of Proceeds
|
35
|
6.3.
|
Notice
of Default
|
35
|
6.4.
|
Conduct
of Business
|
36
|
6.5.
|
Taxes
|
36
|
6.6.
|
Insurance
|
36
|
6.7.
|
Compliance
with Laws
|
36
|
6.8.
|
Maintenance
of Properties
|
36
|
6.9.
|
Inspection;
Keeping of Books and Records
|
36
|
6.10.
|
Merger
|
37
|
6.11.
|
Dispositions
of Assets
|
37
|
6.12.
|
Indebtedness
of Project Finance Subsidiaries or Non-Material
Subsidiaries,
Investments in Project Finance Subsidiaries or Non-Material
Subsidiaries
and Other Investments; Acquisitions.
|
39
|
6.13.
|
Liens
|
41
|
6.14.
|
Affiliates
|
44
|
6.15.
|
Financial
Contracts
|
44
|
6.16.
|
Subsidiary
Covenants
|
45
|
6.17.
|
Leverage
Ratio
|
45
|
ARTICLE
VII
|
DEFAULTS
|
45
|
ARTICLE
VIII
|
ACCELERATION,
WAIVERS, AMENDMENTS AND REMEDIES
|
48
|
8.1.
|
Acceleration
|
48
|
8.2.
|
Amendments
|
48
|
8.3.
|
Preservation
of Rights
|
49
|
ii
ARTICLE
IX
|
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
|
50
|
9.1.
|
Survival
of Representations
|
50
|
9.2.
|
Governmental
Regulation
|
50
|
9.3.
|
Headings
|
50
|
9.4.
|
Entire
Agreement
|
50
|
9.5.
|
Several
Obligations; Benefits of this Agreement
|
50
|
9.6.
|
Expenses;
Indemnification.
|
50
|
9.7.
|
Numbers
of Documents
|
51
|
9.8.
|
Accounting
|
51
|
9.9.
|
Severability
of Provisions
|
52
|
9.10.
|
Nonliability
|
52
|
9.11.
|
Confidentiality
|
52
|
9.12.
|
Lenders
Not Utilizing Plan Assets
|
53
|
9.13.
|
Nonreliance
|
53
|
9.14.
|
Disclosure
|
53
|
9.15.
|
USA
Patriot Act
|
53
|
ARTICLE
X
|
THE
AGENT
|
53
|
10.1.
|
Appointment;
Nature of Relationship
|
53
|
10.2.
|
Powers
|
54
|
10.3.
|
General
Immunity
|
54
|
10.4.
|
No
Responsibility for Loans, Recitals, etc
|
54
|
10.5.
|
Action
on Instructions of Lenders
|
54
|
10.6.
|
Employment
of Agents and Counsel
|
55
|
10.7.
|
Reliance
on Documents; Counsel
|
55
|
10.8.
|
Agent’s
Reimbursement and Indemnification
|
55
|
10.9.
|
Notice
of Default
|
55
|
10.10.
|
Rights
as a Lender
|
56
|
10.11.
|
Independent
Credit Decision
|
56
|
10.12.
|
Successor
Agent
|
56
|
10.13.
|
Agent
and Arranger Fees
|
57
|
10.14.
|
Delegation
to Affiliates
|
57
|
10.15.
|
Syndication
Agent and Documentation Agents
|
57
|
ARTICLE
XI
|
SETOFF;
RATABLE PAYMENTS
|
57
|
11.1.
|
Setoff
|
57
|
11.2.
|
Ratable
Payments
|
57
|
ARTICLE
XII
|
BENEFIT
OF AGREEMENT; ASSIGNMENTS; PARTICIPATIONS
|
58
|
12.1.
|
Successors
and Assigns; Designated Lenders.
|
58
|
12.2.
|
Participations.
|
60
|
12.3.
|
Assignments.
|
61
|
12.4.
|
Dissemination
of Information
|
63
|
12.5.
|
Tax
Certifications
|
63
|
iii
ARTICLE
XIII
|
NOTICES
|
63
|
13.1.
|
Notices.
|
63
|
13.2.
|
Change
of Address
|
64
|
ARTICLE
XIV
|
COUNTERPARTS
|
64
|
ARTICLE
XV
|
CHOICE
OF LAW; CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF
JURY
TRIAL
|
64
|
iv
SCHEDULES
Commitment
Schedule
Schedule
1 - Subsidiaries
Schedule
2 - Liens
Schedule
3 - Restrictive
Agreements
EXHIBITS
Exhibit
A - Form
of the Borrower’s Counsel’s Opinion
Exhibit
B - Form
of Compliance Certificate
Exhibit
C - Form
of Assignment and Assumption Agreement
Exhibit
D - Form
of Loan/Credit Related Money Transfer Instruction
Exhibit
E - Form
of Promissory Note (if requested)
Exhibit
F - Form
of Designation Agreement
Exhibit
G - Subordination
Terms
This
Credit Agreement, dated as of June 25, 2008, is entered into by and among Ameren
Corporation, a Missouri corporation, the Lenders (as defined below) and JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., as Agent. The parties hereto agree as
follows:
ARTICLE
I
DEFINITIONS
1.1. Certain Defined
Terms. As used in this Agreement:
“Accounting
Changes” is defined in Section 9.8 hereof.
“Acquisition”
means any transaction, or any series of related transactions, consummated on or
after the Closing Date, by which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (i)
acquires any going business or all or substantially all of the assets of any
firm, corporation or limited liability company, or division thereof, whether
through purchase of assets, merger or otherwise or (ii) directly or indirectly
acquires (in one transaction or as the most recent transaction in a series of
transactions) at least a majority (in number of votes) of the securities of a
corporation which have ordinary voting power for the election of directors
(other than securities having such power only by reason of the happening of a
contingency) or a majority (by percentage of voting power) of the outstanding
ownership interests of a partnership or limited liability company of any
Person.
“Administrative
Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the
Agent.
“Advance”
means Loans (i) made by the Lenders on the Closing Date or (ii) converted or
continued by the Lenders on the same date of conversion or continuation,
consisting, in either case, of the aggregate amount of the several Loans of the
same Type and, in the case of Eurodollar Loans, for the same Interest
Period.
“Affiliate”
of any Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling,
controlled by or under common control with such Person. A Person
shall be deemed to control another Person if the controlling Person is the
“beneficial owner” (as defined in Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934) of 10% or more of any class of voting securities (or other ownership
interests) of the controlled Person or possesses, directly or indirectly, the
power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of the
controlled Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract
or otherwise.
“Agent”
means JPMCB, not in its individual capacity as a Lender, but in its capacity as
contractual representative of the Lenders pursuant to Article X, and any
successor Agent appointed pursuant to Article X.
“Agreement”
means this Credit Agreement, as it may be amended, restated, supplemented or
otherwise modified and as in effect from time to time.
“Agreement
Accounting Principles” means generally accepted accounting principles as in
effect in the United States from time to time, applied in a manner consistent
with that used in preparing the financial statements referred to in Section 5.4;
provided, however, that except
as provided in Section 9.8, with respect to the calculation of the financial
ratio set forth in Section 6.17 (and the defined terms used in such Section),
“Agreement Accounting Principles” means generally accepted accounting principles
as in effect in the United States as of the Closing Date of the Existing Credit
Agreement, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the
financial statements referred to in Section 5.4 hereof.
“Applicable
Index” means, as of any date of determination, the average, as determined by the
Agent, of the Applicable Quote for each day during the preceding 30 days on
which the Applicable Quote was available.
“Applicable
Margin” means, with respect to each Eurodollar Advance, the Applicable Index as
determined as of the first Business Day following delivery of the Borrowing
Notice or Continuation/Conversion Notice in respect of such Advance, provided that (a) if
on such date of determination the Applicable Index is less than 0.90% per annum,
the Applicable Margin in respect of such Advance shall be 0.90% per annum, and
(b) if on such date of determination the Applicable Index is greater than 1.50%
per annum, the Applicable Margin in respect of such Advance shall be 1.50% per
annum.
If at any
time the Applicable Quote shall have been unavailable for the last 3 consecutive
Business Days, then the Borrower and the Lenders shall negotiate in good faith
while the Applicable Quote shall remain unavailable for a period of up to thirty
days after such third Business Day (the “Negotiating Period”) to agree on an
alternative method for establishing the Applicable Margin. Each
Eurodollar Advance that commences during the Negotiating Period will have an
Interest Period of one month and the Applicable Margin applicable thereto shall
be the Applicable Index as determined (in accordance with the definition of
“Applicable Index”) as of the last Business Day on which the Applicable Quote
shall have been available. In the event that an amendment hereof
executed by the Borrower and each Lender and specifying an alternative method
for establishing the Applicable Margin shall not have been delivered to the
Agent on or prior to the last day of the Negotiating Period, then until such an
Agreement is delivered to the Agent all Advances commencing thereafter shall be
Floating Rate Advances. If at any time after the commencement of a
Negotiating Period the Applicable Quote shall have been available on not less
than five (5) consecutive Business Days, the Applicable Margin shall be
determined based the Applicable Quote. For the avoidance of doubt,
neither the Interest Period nor the Eurodollar Rate applicable to any Eurodollar
Advance that is outstanding when a Negotiating Period begins will change as a
result of the commencement of such Negotiating Period.
“Applicable
Quote” means, as of any date, the Comp Spread for the Markit CDX.NA.IG Series 10
(5 Year Period) as of the close of business, New York City time, on the Business
Day immediately preceding such date, as determined by the Agent, provided that
following each rollover to a successor series, the “Applicable Quote” shall
mean, as of any date thereafter, the Comp Spread for the 5 Year Period under
such successor series as of such time on such date. For the avoidance
of doubt, following each rollover to a successor series the prior series’
Applicable Quotes will be used on any date on which the Applicable Index is
determined for
2
each of
the preceding 30 days for which such successor series was not in effect until
such time as such successor series has been in effect for 30 days.
“Approved
Fund” means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an
Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that
administers or manages a Lender.
“Arranger”
means X.X. Xxxxxx Securities Inc. and its successors, in its capacities as
Sole Lead Arranger and Sole Bookrunner.
“Article”
means an article of this Agreement unless another document is specifically
referenced.
“Assignment
Agreement” is defined in Section 12.3.1.
“Audrain
Project” means the Chapter 100 financing transaction and agreements related
thereto assigned by affiliates of NRG Energy, Inc. (“NRG”) to and assumed by
Union Electric as a part of Union Electric’s purchase of a combustion turbine
generating facility located in Audrain County, Missouri (the “County”) pursuant
to which (i) Union Electric assumed a lease from the County of certain land and
improvements, including the combustion turbine generating facility, and (ii)
Union Electric acquired NRG’s ownership of indebtedness issued by the County to
finance the acquisition of such property.
“Authorized
Officer” of the Borrower means any of the chief executive officer, president,
chief operating officer, chief financial officer, treasurer or vice president of
the Borrower, acting singly.
“Borrower”
means Ameren Corporation, a Missouri corporation.
“Borrowing
Notice” is defined in Section 2.11.
“Business
Day” means (i) with respect to any borrowing, payment or rate selection of
Eurodollar Advances, a day (other than a Saturday or Sunday) on which banks
generally are open in New York, New York for the conduct of substantially all of
their commercial lending activities, interbank wire transfers can be made on the
Fedwire system and dealings in Dollars are carried on in the London interbank
market and (ii) for all other purposes, a day (other than a Saturday or
Sunday) on which banks generally are open in New York, New York for the conduct
of substantially all of their commercial lending activities and interbank wire
transfers can be made on the Fedwire system.
“Capitalized
Lease” of a Person means any lease of Property by such Person as lessee which
would be capitalized on a balance sheet of such Person prepared in accordance
with Agreement Accounting Principles.
“Capitalized
Lease Obligations” of a Person means the amount of the obligations of such
Person under Capitalized Leases which would be shown as a liability on a balance
sheet of such Person prepared in accordance with Agreement Accounting
Principles.
3
“Change
in Control” means (i) the acquisition by any Person, or two or more Persons
acting in concert, of beneficial ownership (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 of
the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) of twenty percent (20%) or
more of the aggregate ordinary voting power represented by the issued and
outstanding capital stock of the Borrower; (ii) the Borrower shall cease to
own, directly or indirectly and free and clear of all Liens or other
encumbrances (except for such Liens or other encumbrances permitted by Section
6.13), 100% of the outstanding shares of the ordinary voting power represented
by the issued and outstanding common stock of either Union Electric or Genco; or
(iii) occupation of a majority of the seats (other than vacant seats) on
the board of directors of the Borrower by Persons who were neither
(i) nominated by the board of directors of the Borrower or a committee or
subcommittee thereof to which such power was delegated nor (ii) appointed
by directors so nominated; provided that no
individual who is so nominated in connection with a merger, consolidation,
acquisition or similar transaction shall be included in such majority unless
such individual was a member of the Borrower’s board of directors prior
thereto.
“CILCO”
means Central Illinois Light Company (d/b/a AmerenCILCO), an Illinois
corporation.
“CILCORP”
means CILCORP Inc., an Illinois corporation, the parent company of
CILCO.
“CIPS”
means Central Illinois Public Service Company (d/b/a AmerenCIPS), an Illinois
corporation.
“Closing
Date” means the date on which the conditions specified in Section 4.1 are
satisfied (or waived in accordance with Section 8.2).
“Code”
means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, reformed or otherwise
modified from time to time, and any rule or regulation issued
thereunder.
“Commitment”
means, for each Lender, the commitment of such Lender to make a Loan on the
Closing Date, expressed as an amount representing the maximum principal amount
of the Loan to be made by such Lender, as such commitment may be (a) reduced
from time to time pursuant to Section 2.8 and (b) reduced or increased from time
to time pursuant to assignments by or to such Lender pursuant to Section
12.3. The initial amount of each Lender’s Commitment is set forth on
the Commitment Schedule, or in the Assignment Agreement pursuant to which such
Lender shall have assumed its Commitment, as applicable. The initial
aggregate amount of the Lenders’ Commitments is $300,000,000.
“Commitment
Schedule” means the Schedule identifying each Lender’s Commitment as of the
Closing Date attached hereto and identified as such.
“Commonly
Controlled Entity” means any trade or business, whether or not incorporated,
which is under common control with the Borrower or any Subsidiary within the
meaning of Section 4001 of ERISA or that, together with the Borrower or any
Subsidiary, is treated as a single employer under Section 414(b) or (c) of
the Code or, solely for purposes of Section 302 of ERISA and Section 412 of the
Code, is treated as a single employer under Section 414 of the
Code.
4
“Consolidated
Indebtedness” of a Person means at any time the Indebtedness of such Person and
its subsidiaries which would be consolidated in the consolidated financial
statements of such Person under Agreement Accounting Principles calculated on a
consolidated basis as of such time; provided, however, that Consolidated
Indebtedness shall exclude any Indebtedness incurred as part of any Permitted
Securitization.
“Consolidated
Net Worth” of a Person means at any time the consolidated stockholders’ equity
and preferred stock of such Person and its subsidiaries calculated on a
consolidated basis in accordance with Agreement Accounting
Principles.
“Consolidated
Tangible Assets” means the total amount of all assets of the Borrower and its
consolidated subsidiaries determined in accordance with Agreement Accounting
Principles, minus, to the extent
included in the total amount of the Borrower’s and its consolidated
subsidiaries’ total assets, the net book value of all (i) goodwill, including,
without limitation, the excess cost over book value of any asset, (ii)
organization or experimental expenses, (iii) unamortized debt discount and
expense, (iv) patents, trademarks, tradenames and copyrights, (v) treasury
stock, (vi) franchises, licenses and permits, and (vii) other assets which are
deemed intangible assets under Agreement Accounting Principles.
“Consolidated
Total Capitalization” means the sum of Consolidated Indebtedness of the Borrower
and Consolidated Net Worth of the Borrower, each calculated at such
time.
“Contingent
Obligation” of a Person means any agreement, undertaking or arrangement by which
such Person assumes, guarantees, endorses, contingently agrees to purchase or
provide funds for the payment of, or otherwise becomes or is contingently liable
upon, the obligation or liability of any other Person, or agrees to maintain the
net worth or working capital or other financial condition of any other Person,
or otherwise assures any creditor of such other Person against loss, including,
without limitation, any comfort letter, operating agreement, take-or-pay
contract or the obligations of any such Person as general partner of a
partnership with respect to the liabilities of the partnership.
“Conversion/Continuation
Notice” is defined in Section 2.12.
“Default”
means an event described in Article VII.
“Designated
Lender” means, with respect to each Designating Lender, each Eligible Designee
designated by such Designating Lender pursuant to Section 12.1.2.
“Designating
Lender” means, with respect to each Designated Lender, the Lender that
designated such Designated Lender pursuant to Section 12.1.2.
“Designation
Agreement” is defined in Section 12.1.2.
“Disclosed
Matters” means the events, actions, suits and proceedings and the environmental
matters disclosed in the Exchange Act Documents.
“Documentation
Agents” means The Bank of Tokyo - Mitsubishi UFJ, LTD., and BNP
Paribas.
5
“Dollar”
and “$” means the lawful currency of the United States of America.
“Eligible
Designee” means a
special purpose corporation, partnership, trust, limited partnership or limited
liability company that is administered by the respective Designating Lender or
an Affiliate of such Designating Lender and (i) is organized under the laws of
the United States of America or any state thereof, (ii) is engaged primarily in
making, purchasing or otherwise investing in commercial loans in the ordinary
course of its business and (iii) issues (or the parent of which issues)
commercial paper rated at least A-1 or the equivalent thereof by S&P or P-1
or the equivalent thereof by Xxxxx’x.
“Environmental
Laws” means any and all federal, state, local and foreign statutes, laws,
judicial decisions, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees,
plans, injunctions, permits, concessions, grants, franchises, licenses,
agreements and other governmental restrictions relating to (i) the protection of
the environment, (ii) the effect of the environment on human health, (iii)
emissions, discharges or releases of pollutants, contaminants, hazardous
substances or wastes into surface water, ground water or land, or (iv) the
manufacture, processing, distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal,
transport or handling of pollutants, contaminants, hazardous substances or
wastes or the clean-up or other remediation thereof.
“ERISA”
means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time
to time.
“ERISA
Event” means (a) any Reportable Event with respect to the Borrower and/or
any of its Commonly Controlled Entities; (b) the existence with respect to
any Plan of an “accumulated funding deficiency” (as defined in Section 412 of
the Code or Section 302 of ERISA) whether or not waived; (c) the
filing pursuant to Section 412(d) of the Code or Section 303(d) of ERISA of an
application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any
Plan; (d) the incurrence by the Borrower or any Commonly Controlled Entity
of any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to the termination of any
Plan; (e) the receipt by the Borrower or any Commonly Controlled Entity
from the PBGC or a plan administrator of any notice relating to an intention to
terminate any Plan or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan; (f) the
incurrence by the Borrower or any Commonly Controlled Entity of any liability
with respect to the withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any Plan or
Multiemployer Plan; or (g) the receipt by the Borrower or any Commonly
Controlled Entity of any notice, or the receipt by any Multiemployer Plan from
the Borrower or any Commonly Controlled Entity of any notice, concerning the
imposition of “withdrawal liability” (as defined in Part I of Subtitle E of
Title IV of ERISA) or a determination that a Multiemployer Plan is, or is
expected to be, insolvent or in reorganization, within the meaning of Title IV
of ERISA.
“Eurodollar
Advance” means an Advance which bears interest at a rate determined by reference
to the applicable Eurodollar Base Rate.
“Eurodollar
Base Rate” means, with respect to a Eurodollar Advance for the relevant Interest
Period, the applicable British Bankers’ Association LIBOR rate for deposits in
Dollars as reported by any generally recognized financial information service as
of 11:00 a.m. (London time) two (2) Business Days prior to the first day of such
Interest Period, and having a maturity equal to such Interest Period, provided that, if no
such British Bankers’ Association LIBOR rate
6
is
available to the Agent, the applicable Eurodollar Base Rate for the relevant
Interest Period shall instead be the rate determined by the Agent to be the rate
at which JPMCB or one of its affiliate banks offers to place deposits in Dollars
with first-class banks in the London interbank market at approximately 11:00
a.m. (London time) two (2) Business Days prior to the first day of such Interest
Period, in the approximate amount of JPMCB’s relevant Eurodollar Loan and having
a maturity equal to such Interest Period.
“Eurodollar
Loan” means a Loan which bears interest at a rate determined by reference to the
applicable Eurodollar Base Rate.
“Eurodollar
Rate” means, with respect to a Eurodollar Advance for the relevant Interest
Period, the sum of (i) the quotient of (a) the Eurodollar Base Rate applicable
to such Interest Period, divided by (b) one minus the Reserve Requirement
(expressed as a decimal) applicable to such Interest Period, plus (ii) the
Applicable Margin in respect of such Eurodollar Advance.
“Exchange
Act Documents” means (a) the Annual Report of the Borrower to the SEC on Form
10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, (b) the Quarterly Reports of
the Borrower to the SEC on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended
March 31, 2008, and (c) all Current Reports of the Borrower to the SEC
on Form 8-K from January 1, 2008, to June 23, 2008.
“Excluded
Taxes” means, in the case of each Lender or applicable Lending Installation and
the Agent, taxes imposed on its overall net income, and franchise taxes imposed
on it, by (i) the jurisdiction under the laws of which such Lender or the Agent
is incorporated or organized or any political combination or subdivision or
taxing authority thereof or (ii) the jurisdiction in which the Agent’s or such
Lender’s principal executive office or such Lender’s applicable Lending
Installation is located.
“Exhibit”
refers to an exhibit to this Agreement, unless another document is specifically
referenced.
“Existing
CILCO Indenture” means the Indenture of Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of
April 1, 1933, as heretofore or from time to time hereafter supplemented and
amended, between CILCO and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas f/k/a Bankers
Trust Company, as Trustee (and any successor thereto as Trustee).
“Existing
CIPS Indenture” means the Indenture dated October 1, 1941, as heretofore or from
time to time hereafter supplemented and amended, between CIPS and U.S. Bank
Trust National Association and Xxxxxxx Xxxxxxxx, as Trustees (and any successor
thereto as Trustee).
“Existing
Credit Agreement” means the Amended and Restated Five-Year Revolving Credit
Agreement dated as of July 14, 2006 (as the same may be further amended,
restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time), among the
Borrower, Union Electric, the lenders from time to time party thereto and JPMCB,
as administrative agent.
“Existing
Intercompany Note” means the Amended and Restated Promissory Note, dated May 1,
2000 and as amended and restated on May 1, 2005, between Genco, as maker and
CIPS, as payee.
7
“Existing
IP Indenture” means the General Mortgage Indenture and Deed of Trust dated as of
November 1, 1992, as heretofore or from time to time supplemented and amended
between IP and BNY Midwest Trust Company as successor to Xxxxxx Trust and
Savings Bank, as Trustee (and any successor thereto as Trustee).
“Existing
UE Indenture” means the Indenture of Mortgage and Deed of Trust dated as of June
15, 1937, as heretofore or from time to time hereafter supplemented and amended,
between Union Electric and The Bank of New York, as Trustee (and any successor
thereto as Trustee).
“Federal
Funds Effective Rate” means, for any day, an interest rate per annum equal to
the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal Funds transactions with
members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal Funds brokers on such
day, as published for such day (or, if such day is not a Business Day, for the
immediately preceding Business Day) by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or,
if such rate is not so published for any day which is a Business Day, the
average of the quotations at approximately 11:00 a.m. (New York time) on such
day on such transactions received by the Agent from three Federal Funds brokers
of recognized standing selected by the Agent in its sole
discretion.
“FERC”
means the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
“First
Mortgage Bonds” means bonds or other indebtedness issued by Union Electric,
CIPS, CILCO or IP, as applicable, pursuant to the Existing UE Indenture, the
Existing CIPS Indenture, the Existing CILCO Indenture or the Existing IP
Indenture.
“Fitch”
means Fitch Ratings and any successor thereto.
“Floating
Rate” means, for any day, a fluctuating rate of interest per annum equal to the
higher of (i) the Prime Rate for such day and (ii) the sum of (a) the Federal
Funds Effective Rate for such day and (b) one-half of one percent (0.5%) per
annum.
“Floating
Rate Advance” means an Advance which bears interest at a rate determined by
reference to, as applicable, the Prime Rate or the Federal Funds Effective
Rate.
“Fund”
means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be) engaged in
making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and
similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its
business.
“Funded
Indebtedness” means any indebtedness for borrowed money whereby new cash
proceeds are directly received pursuant to the incurrence of a debt obligation
(including, without limitation, Capitalized Lease Obligations and Off Balance
Sheet Liabilities).
“Genco”
means Ameren Energy Generating Company, an Illinois corporation and a Subsidiary
of the Borrower.
“Hybrid
Securities” means on any date (the “Determination Date”), any securities, other
than common stock, issued by the Borrower or a financing vehicle of the Borrower
that meet the following criteria: (a) such securities are classified as
possessing a minimum of “intermediate equity content” by S&P, Basket C
equity credit by Xxxxx’x, and 50% equity credit by Fitch (or
8
the
equivalent classifications then in effect by such agencies), (b) such securities
require no repayments or prepayments and no mandatory redemptions or
repurchases, in each case prior to a date at least one year after the Maturity
Date and (c) the claims of holders of such securities are subordinated to the
claims of the Lenders in respect of the Obligations of the Borrower on terms
reasonably satisfactory to the Agent. As used in this definition,
“mandatory redemption” shall not include conversion of a security into common
stock.
“Illinois
Utility” means each of IP, CIPS and CILCO.
“Inactive
Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of the Borrower that (a) does not conduct
any business operations, (b) has assets with a total book value not in
excess of $1,000,000 and (c) does not have any Indebtedness
outstanding.
“Indebtedness”
of a Person means, at any time, without duplication, such Person’s
(i) obligations for borrowed money, (ii) obligations representing the
deferred purchase price of Property or services (other than current accounts
payable arising in the ordinary course of such Person’s business payable on
terms customary in the trade), (iii) obligations, whether or not assumed,
secured by Liens or payable out of the proceeds or production from Property now
or hereafter owned or acquired by such Person, (iv) obligations which are
evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures, acceptances, or other instruments,
(v) obligations to purchase securities or other Property arising out of or
in connection with the sale of the same or substantially similar securities or
Property, (vi) Capitalized Lease Obligations (except for Capitalized Lease
Obligations entered into by Union Electric in connection with the Xxxx Creek
Project or the Audrain Project), (vii) Contingent Obligations of such
Person, (viii) reimbursement obligations under letters of credit, bankers
acceptances, surety bonds and similar instruments issued upon the application of
such Person or upon which such Person is an account party or for which such
Person is in any way liable, (ix) Off-Balance Sheet Liabilities, (x)
obligations under Sale and Leaseback Transactions, (xi) Net Xxxx-to-Market
Exposure under Rate Management Transactions and (xii) any other obligation
for borrowed money which in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles
would be shown as a liability on the consolidated balance sheet of such
Person.
“Interest
Period” means with respect to a Eurodollar Advance, a period of one, two, three
or six months or, if agreed by all the Lenders, nine months, commencing on the
date of such Advance and ending on but excluding the day which corresponds
numerically to such date one, two, three, six or, if applicable, nine months
thereafter; provided, however, that (i) in the case
of Eurodollar Advances, if there is no such numerically corresponding day in
such next, second, third, sixth or ninth succeeding month, such Interest Period
shall end on the last Business Day of such next, second, third, sixth or ninth
succeeding month, (ii) if an Interest Period would otherwise end on a day
which is not a Business Day, such Interest Period shall end on the next
succeeding Business Day, provided, however, that if said next
succeeding Business Day falls in a new calendar month, such Interest Period
shall end on the immediately preceding Business Day and (iii) no Interest Period
in respect of an Advance may end after the Maturity Date. For
purposes hereof, the date of an Advance initially shall be the Closing Date and
thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or
continuation of such Loans.
9
“Investment”
of a Person means any loan, advance (other than commission, travel and similar
advances to officers and employees made in the ordinary course of business),
extension of credit (other than accounts receivable arising in the ordinary
course of business on terms customary in the trade) or contribution of capital
by such Person; stocks, bonds, mutual funds, partnership interests, notes,
debentures or other securities owned by such Person; any deposit accounts and
certificates of deposit owned by such Person; and structured notes, derivative
financial instruments and other similar instruments or contracts owned by such
Person.
“IP”
means Illinois Power Company (d/b/a AmerenIP), an Illinois
corporation.
“JPMCB”
means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
“Lenders”
means the lending institutions listed on the signature pages of this Agreement
and their respective successors and assigns.
“Lending
Installation” means, with respect to a Lender or the Agent, the office, branch,
subsidiary or affiliate of such Lender or the Agent listed on the signature
pages hereof or on the administrative information sheets provided to the Agent
in connection herewith or on a Schedule or otherwise selected by such Lender or
the Agent pursuant to Section 2.20.
“Leveraged
Lease Sales” means sales by the Borrower or any Subsidiary of investments, in
existence on the date hereof, in assets leased to an unaffiliated lessee under
leveraged lease arrangements in existence on the date hereof, including any
transactions between and among the Borrower and/or subsidiaries that are
necessary to effect the sale of such investments to a Person other than the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.
“Lien”
means any lien (statutory or other), mortgage, pledge, hypothecation,
assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance or preference, priority or other
security agreement or preferential arrangement of any kind or nature whatsoever
(including, without limitation, the interest of a vendor or lessor under any
conditional sale, Capitalized Lease or other title retention agreement, and, in
the case of stock, stockholders agreements, voting trust agreements and all
similar arrangements).
“Loan”
means the loans made by the Lenders to the Borrower pursuant to this
Agreement.
“Loan
Documents” means this Agreement and all other documents, instruments, notes
(including any Notes issued pursuant to Section 2.16 (if requested)) and
agreements executed in connection herewith or therewith or contemplated hereby
or thereby, as the same may be amended, restated or otherwise modified and in
effect from time to time.
“Material
Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect on (i) the business,
Property, condition (financial or otherwise), operations or results of
operations or prospects of the Borrower, or the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
taken as a whole, (ii) the ability of the Borrower to perform its
obligations under the Loan Documents, or (iii) the validity or
enforceability of any of the Loan Documents against the Borrower or the rights
or remedies of the Agent or the Lenders thereunder.
10
“Material
Indebtedness” means any Indebtedness (other than any Indebtedness incurred as
part of any Permitted Securitization) in an outstanding principal amount of
$25,000,000 or more in the aggregate (or the equivalent thereof in any currency
other than Dollars).
“Material
Indebtedness Agreement” means any agreement under which any Material
Indebtedness was created or is governed or which provides for the incurrence of
Indebtedness in an amount which would constitute Material Indebtedness (whether
or not an amount of Indebtedness constituting Material Indebtedness is
outstanding thereunder).
“Maturity
Date” means June 24, 2009.
“Money
Pool Agreements” means, collectively, (i) that certain Ameren Corporation
System Utility Money Pool Agreement, dated as of March 25, 1999, by and among
the Borrower, Ameren Services Company, Union Electric, CIPS, CILCO, IP and
Resources, as amended from time to time (including, without limitation, the
addition of any of their Affiliates as parties thereto), and (ii) that
certain Amended and Restated Ameren Corporation System Non-Regulated Subsidiary
Money Pool Agreement, dated as of March 1, 2008, by and among the Borrower,
Ameren Services Company, Genco and certain Subsidiaries of the Borrower
excluding Union Electric, CIPS, CILCO and IP, as amended from time to time
(including, without limitation, the addition of any of their Affiliates, other
than Union Electric, CIPS, CILCO and IP, as parties thereto).
“Moody’s”
means Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc.
“Multiemployer
Plan” means a multiemployer plan, as defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of
ERISA.
“Net
Xxxx-to-Market Exposure” of a Person means, as of any date of determination, the
excess (if any) of all unrealized losses over all unrealized profits of such
Person arising from Rate Management Transactions. “Unrealized losses”
means the fair market value of the cost to such Person of replacing such Rate
Management Transaction as of the date of determination (assuming the Rate
Management Transaction were to be terminated as of that date), and “unrealized
profits” means the fair market value of the gain to such Person of replacing
such Rate Management Transaction as of the date of determination (assuming such
Rate Management Transaction were to be terminated as of that date).
“Net
Proceeds” means, (a) with respect to any event described in clause (d) of the
definition of Prepayment Event, the amount by which the aggregate total amount
of commitments for all such refinancing and replacement credit facilities
exceeds $1,150,000,000, and (b) with respect to any other event (i) the cash
proceeds received in respect of such event including any cash received in
respect of any noncash proceeds, but only as and when received, net of (ii) the
sum, without duplication, of (A) all reasonable fees and out of pocket expenses
paid in connection with such event by the Borrower and the Subsidiaries to
Persons that are not Affiliates of the Borrower or any Subsidiary and (B) the
amount of all taxes paid (or reasonably estimated to be payable) by the Borrower
and the Subsidiaries in respect of the receipt of such cash
proceeds.
11
“Non-Material
Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary (a) the consolidated assets of which equal less
than $10,000,000, and (b) the consolidated revenues of which equal less than
$10,000,000, in each case as of the end of or for the most recent period of four
consecutive fiscal quarters for which annual or quarterly financial statements
of the Borrower have been filed with the SEC; provided that if at the end of the
most recent fiscal quarter or for the most recent period of four consecutive
fiscal quarters the combined consolidated assets or combined consolidated
revenues of all Subsidiaries that under clauses (a) and (b) above would
constitute Non-Material Subsidiaries shall have exceeded 1% of the Borrower’s
consolidated total assets or 1% of the Borrower’s consolidated revenues, then
one or more of such excluded Subsidiaries shall for all purposes of this
Agreement be deemed not to be Non-Material Subsidiaries in descending order
based on the amounts of their consolidated assets until such excess shall have
been eliminated. A Subsidiary shall be deemed to be a Non-Material
Subsidiary only from and after the date on which such Subsidiary is expressly
designated as a Non-Material Subsidiary to the Agent by written notice executed
by an Authorized Officer.
“Non-U.S.
Lender” is defined in Section 3.5(iv).
“Note” is
defined in Section 2.16.
“Obligations”
means all Loans, advances, debts, liabilities, obligations, covenants and duties
owing by the Borrower to the Agent, any Lender, the Arranger, any affiliate of
the Agent, any Lender or the Arranger, or any indemnitee under the provisions of
Section 9.6 or any other provisions of the Loan Documents, in each case of
any kind or nature, present or future, arising under this Agreement or any other
Loan Document, whether or not evidenced by any note, guaranty or other
instrument, whether or not for the payment of money, whether arising by reason
of an extension of credit, loan, foreign exchange risk, guaranty,
indemnification, or in any other manner, whether direct or indirect (including
those acquired by assignment), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now
existing or hereafter arising and however acquired. The term
includes, without limitation, all interest, charges, expenses, fees, attorneys’
fees and disbursements, paralegals’ fees (in each case whether or not allowed),
and any other sum chargeable to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries under
this Agreement or any other Loan Document.
“Off-Balance
Sheet Liability” of a Person means the principal component of (i) any
repurchase obligation or liability of such Person with respect to accounts or
notes receivable sold by such Person, (ii) any liability under any Sale and
Leaseback Transaction which is not a Capitalized Lease, (iii) any liability
under any so-called “synthetic lease” or “tax ownership operating lease”
transaction entered into by such Person, or (iv) any obligation arising with
respect to any other transaction which is the functional equivalent of or takes
the place of borrowing but which does not constitute a liability on the
consolidated balance sheets of such Person, but excluding from this clause
(iv) Operating Leases.
“Operating
Lease” of a Person means any lease of Property (other than a Capitalized Lease)
by such Person as lessee which has an original term (including any required
renewals and any renewals effective at the option of the lessor) of one year or
more.
“Other
Taxes” is defined in Section 3.5(ii).
12
“Participants”
is defined in Section 12.2.1.
“Payment
Date” means the last day of each March, June, September and December and the
Maturity Date.
“PBGC”
means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation referred to and defined in ERISA
and any successor entity performing similar functions.
“Xxxx
Creek Project” means the Chapter 100 financing transaction and agreements
related thereto entered into between Union Electric and the City of Bowling
Green, Missouri (the “City”) pursuant to
which (i) Union Electric conveyed to and leased from the City certain land
and improvements including four combustion turbine generating units, and
(ii) the City issued indebtedness (which was purchased by Union Electric)
to finance the acquisition of such Property.
“Permitted
Illinois Utility Combination” means one or more related transactions in which
(a) any or all the Illinois Utilities merge with any other subsidiary (other
than a Subsidiary) of the Borrower (including any subsidiary formed for such
purpose) and/or one another and (b) the resulting entity succeeds to all the
assets and obligations of the constituent entities.
“Permitted
Securitization” means any sale, grant and/or contribution, or series of related
sales, grants and/or contributions, by a Utility Subsidiary or any subsidiary of
such Utility Subsidiary of Receivables to a trust, corporation or other entity,
where the purchase of such Receivables is funded or exchanged in whole or in
part by the incurrence or issuance by the purchaser, grantee or any successor
entity of Indebtedness or securities that are to receive payments from, or that
represent interests in, the cash flow derived primarily from such Receivables
(provided, however, that “Indebtedness” as used in this definition shall not
include Indebtedness incurred by an SPC owed to the Utility Subsidiary or to a
subsidiary of such Utility Subsidiary which Indebtedness represents all or a
portion of the purchase price or other consideration paid by the SPC for such
receivables or interest therein), where (a) any recourse, repurchase, hold
harmless, indemnity or similar obligations of such Utility Subsidiary or any
subsidiary (other than any SPC that is a party to such transaction) of such
Utility Subsidiary in respect of Receivables sold, granted or contributed, or
payments made in respect thereof, are customary for transactions of this type,
and do not prevent the characterization of the transaction as a true sale under
applicable laws (including debtor relief laws), (b) any recourse, repurchase,
hold harmless, indemnity or similar obligations of any SPC in respect of
Receivables sold, granted or contributed or payments made in respect thereof,
are customary for transactions of this type and (c) such securitization
transaction is authorized by an order of the applicable state regulatory
commission.
“Person”
means any natural person, corporation, firm, joint venture, partnership, limited
liability company, association, enterprise, trust or other entity or
organization, or any government or political subdivision or any agency,
department or instrumentality thereof.
“Plan”
means at a particular time, any employee benefit plan (other than a
Multiemployer Plan) which is covered by ERISA or Section 412 of the Code
and in respect of which the Borrower or a Commonly Controlled Entity is (or, if
such plan were terminated at such time,
13
would
under Section 4069 of ERISA be deemed to be) an “employer” as defined in
Section 3(5) of ERISA.
“Prepayment
Event” means:
(a) any
incurrence of Funded Indebtedness by the Borrower or, to the extent Net Proceeds
thereof are forwarded to the Borrower, any incurrence of Funded Indebtedness by
any Subsidiary that is guaranteed by the Borrower, in each case in excess of
$25,000,000 in the aggregate (other than (i) commercial paper and (ii) Funded
Indebtedness incurred under the Existing Credit Agreement);
(b) any
sale or issuance of any Hybrid Securities;
(c) any
issuance by the Borrower of any capital stock or other equity interests (or
rights, options or warrants to acquire capital stock or such other equity
interests) (collectively, “Equity Interests”), other than (i) any issuance of
directors’ qualifying shares or of nominal amounts of other Equity Interests in
the Borrower that are required to be held by specified Persons under applicable
law, (ii) any issuance of Equity Interests in the Borrower to management or
employees of the Borrower or any Subsidiary under any employee stock option or
stock purchase plan or any employee benefit plan or other employee or director
compensation or incentive plan or any dividend reinvestment plan (including by
other Persons) or (iii) the issuance of Equity Interest upon the exercise of any
such rights, options or warrants described in clause (ii) to purchase capital
stock or other Equity Interests in the Borrower; or
(d) the
refinancing or replacement of the Existing Credit Agreement (as in effect on the
date hereof) with one or more credit facilities having an aggregate total amount
of commitments for all such credit facilities in excess of
$1,150,000,000.
“Prime
Rate” means a rate per annum equal to the prime rate of interest announced from
time to time by JPMCB (which is not necessarily the lowest rate charged to any
customer), changing when and as said prime rate changes.
“Pro Rata
Share” means, with respect to a Lender, a portion (expressed as a percentage)
equal to (a) a fraction the numerator of which is such Lender’s Commitment at
such time (in each case, as adjusted from time to time in accordance with the
provisions of this Agreement) and the denominator of which is the sum of the
Lenders’ Commitments at such time, and (b) following the funding of the Loans on
the Closing Date, a fraction the numerator of which is the aggregate outstanding
principal amount of such Lender’s Loans at such time and the denominator of
which is the aggregate outstanding principal amount of all the Loans at such
time (and if there shall be no outstanding Commitments or Loans at such time,
the Lenders’ Pro Rata Shares shall be determined on the basis of the Commitments
or Loans then most recently outstanding).
“Project
Finance Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary created for the purpose of obtaining
non-recourse financing for any operating asset that is the sole and direct
obligor of Indebtedness incurred in connection with such financing. A
Subsidiary shall be deemed to be a Project Finance Subsidiary only from and
after the date on which such Subsidiary is expressly
14
designated
as a Project Finance Subsidiary to the Agent by written notice executed by an
Authorized Officer; provided that in no
event shall Union Electric or Genco be designated or deemed a Project Finance
Subsidiary.
“Property”
of a Person means any and all property, whether real, personal, tangible,
intangible, or mixed, of such Person, or other assets owned, leased or operated
by such Person.
“Purchasers”
is defined in Section 12.3.1.
“Rate
Management Transaction” means any transaction linked to one or more interest
rates, foreign currencies, or equity prices (including an agreement with respect
thereto) now existing or hereafter entered by the Borrower or a Subsidiary
(other than a Project Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary or an SPC)
which is a rate swap, basis swap, forward rate transaction, equity or equity
index swap, equity or equity index option, bond option, interest rate option,
foreign exchange transaction, cap transaction, floor transaction, collar
transaction, forward transaction, currency swap transaction, cross-currency rate
swap transaction, currency option or any other similar transaction (including
any option with respect to any of these transactions) or any combination
thereof.
"Receivables"
shall mean any accounts receivable, payment intangibles, notes receivable,
rights to receive future payments and related rights of a Utility Subsidiary or
any subsidiary of such Utility Subsidiary, in each case in respect of the
recovery of deferred power supply costs and/or other costs through charges
applied and invoiced to customers of such Utility Subsidiary or such subsidiary,
as authorized by an order of a public utilities commission pursuant to state
legislation specifically authorizing the securitization thereof, or any
interests therein.
“Regulation
D” means Regulation D of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as
from time to time in effect and any successor thereto or other regulation or
official interpretation of said Board of Governors relating to reserve
requirements applicable to member banks of the Federal Reserve
System.
“Regulation
U” means Regulation U of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as
from time to time in effect and any successor or other regulation or official
interpretation of said Board of Governors relating to the extension of credit by
banks, non-banks and non-broker lenders for the purpose of purchasing or
carrying margin stocks applicable to member banks of the Federal Reserve
System.
“Regulation
X” means Regulation X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as
from time to time in effect and any successor or other regulation or official
interpretation of said Board of Governors relating to the extension of credit by
foreign lenders for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock (as
defined therein).
“Reportable
Event” means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA
or the regulations issued under Section 4043 of ERISA, other than those
events as to which the thirty day notice period is waived under
Sections .21, .22, .23, .26, .27 or .28 of PBGC Reg.
§ 4043.
“Required
Lenders” means, at any time, Lenders having Loans and unused Commitments
representing more than 50% of the sum of the Loans and unused Commitments at
such time.
15
“Reserve
Requirement” means, with respect to an Interest Period, the maximum aggregate
reserve requirement (including all basic, supplemental, marginal and other
reserves) which is imposed under Regulation D on “Eurocurrency liabilities” (as
defined in Regulation D).
“Resources”
means AmerenEnergy Resources Generating Company, an Illinois corporation and a
Subsidiary of the Borrower.
“S&P”
means Standard and Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx
Companies, Inc. and any successor thereto.
“Sale and
Leaseback Transaction” means any sale or other transfer of Property by any
Person with the intent to lease such Property as lessee.
“Schedule”
refers to a specific schedule to this Agreement, unless another document is
specifically referenced.
“SEC”
means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Section”
means a numbered section of this Agreement, unless another document is
specifically referenced.
“SPC”
means a special purpose, bankruptcy-remote Person formed for the sole and
exclusive purpose of engaging in activities in connection with the purchase,
sale and financing of Receivables in connection with and pursuant to a Permitted
Securitization.
“Subsidiary”
of a Person means (i) any corporation more than 50% of the outstanding
securities having ordinary voting power of which shall at the time be owned or
controlled, directly or indirectly, by such Person or by one or more of its
Subsidiaries or by such Person and one or more of its Subsidiaries, or
(ii) any partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture
or similar business organization more than 50% of the ownership interests having
ordinary voting power of which shall at the time be so owned or controlled;
provided, however, that none of
Resources, CILCORP, the Illinois Utilities or any of their respective
subsidiaries, shall constitute a “Subsidiary” for any purpose of this
Agreement. Unless otherwise expressly provided, all references herein
to a “Subsidiary” shall mean a Subsidiary of the Borrower.
“Substantial
Portion” means, with respect to the Property of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries, Property which represents more than 10% of the consolidated assets
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries or property which is responsible for more
than 10% of the consolidated net sales or of the consolidated net income of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries, in each case, as would be shown in the
consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the
end of the four fiscal quarter period ending with the fiscal quarter immediately
prior to the fiscal quarter in which such determination is made (or if financial
statements have not been delivered hereunder for that fiscal quarter which ends
the four fiscal quarter period, then the financial statements delivered
hereunder for the quarter ending immediately prior to that
quarter).
“Syndication
Agent” means Barclays Bank PLC.
16
“Taxes”
means any and all present or future taxes, duties, levies, imposts, deductions,
charges or withholdings, and any and all liabilities with respect to the
foregoing, but excluding Excluded
Taxes.
“Transferee”
is defined in Section 12.4.
“2005
Act” means the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005, as it may be amended
(together with all rules, regulations and orders promulgated or otherwise issued
in connection therewith).
“Type”
means, with respect to any Advance, its nature as a Floating Rate Advance or
Eurodollar Advance.
“Union
Electric” means Union Electric Company (d/b/a AmerenUE), a Missouri corporation
and a Subsidiary of the Borrower.
“Unmatured
Default” means an event which but for the lapse of time or the giving of notice,
or both, would constitute a Default.
“USA
Patriot Act” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing
Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of
2001.
“Utility
Subsidiary” means a subsidiary that is a state rate regulated electric
utility.
1.2. Plural
Forms. The foregoing definitions shall be equally applicable
to both the singular and plural forms of the defined terms.
ARTICLE
II
THE
CREDITS
2.1. Commitment. Subject
to the satisfaction of the conditions precedent set forth in Section 4.1, each
Lender severally and not jointly agrees, on the terms and conditions set forth
in this Agreement, to make Loans to the Borrower on the Closing Date in an
aggregate amount not to exceed its Commitment. Amounts repaid in
respect of Loans may not be reborrowed.
2.2. Required Payments;
Termination. The Borrower hereby unconditionally promises to
pay to the Agent for the account of each Lender the then unpaid principal amount
of each Loan made by such Lender to the Borrower on the Maturity
Date. Until all of the Obligations of the Borrower (other than
contingent indemnity obligations) shall have been fully paid and satisfied and
all financing arrangements between the Borrower and the Lenders hereunder and
under the other Loan Documents shall have been terminated, all of the rights and
remedies with respect to the Borrower and its Obligations under this Agreement
and the other Loan Documents shall survive.
2.3. Loans. Each
Advance hereunder shall consist of Loans made by the Lenders ratably in
accordance with their Pro Rata Shares.
17
2.4. [omitted].
2.5. [omitted].
2.6. [omitted].
2.7. Types of
Advances. Advances may be Floating Rate Advances or Eurodollar
Advances, or a combination thereof, selected by the Borrower in accordance with
Sections 2.11 and 2.12.
2.8. Termination of and
Reductions in Commitments. The Commitment of each Lender will
automatically terminate upon the making of the Loans on the Closing
Date. The Borrower may permanently reduce the Commitments, in whole
or in part, ratably among the Lenders in integral multiples of $5,000,000, upon
written notice to the Agent received not later than 11:00 a.m. (New York time)
on the Business Day such reduction is proposed to become effective, which notice
shall specify such Business Day and the amount of any such
reduction.
2.9. Minimum Amount of Each
Advance. Each Eurodollar Advance shall be in the minimum
amount of $5,000,000 (and in multiples of $1,000,000 if in excess thereof), and
each Floating Rate Advance shall be in the minimum amount of $5,000,000 (and in
multiples of $1,000,000 if in excess thereof) or such other amount equal to the
remainder of the aggregate outstanding principal balance of the Loans at such
time which are not Eurodollar Advances.
2.10. Prepayments. (a) The
Borrower shall have the right at any time and from time to time to prepay any
Advance in whole or in part, subject to the requirements of this Section and
subject to the payment of any funding indemnification amounts required by
Section 3.4 but otherwise without penalty or premium.
(b) In
the event and on each occasion that any Net Proceeds are received by or on
behalf of the Borrower or any Subsidiary in respect of any Prepayment Event, the
Borrower shall, within one Business Day after its receipt of such Net Proceeds,
prepay Loans in an aggregate amount equal to such Net Proceeds, which prepayment
shall be without premium or penalty other than the payment of any funding
indemnification amounts required by Section 3.4, if any.
(c) Prior
to any optional or mandatory prepayment of Advances under this Section, the
Borrower shall specify the Advance or Advances to be prepaid in the notice of
such prepayment delivered pursuant to paragraph (d) of this
Section.
(d) The
Borrower shall notify the Agent by telephone (confirmed by hand delivery or
facsimile) of any optional prepayment and, to the extent practicable, any
mandatory prepayment hereunder (i) in the case of prepayment of a Eurodollar
Advance, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, three Business Days
before the date of prepayment, or (ii) in the case of prepayment of a Floating
Rate Advance, not later than 11:00 a.m., New York City time, one Business Day
before the date of prepayment. Each such notice shall be irrevocable
and shall specify the prepayment date, the principal amount of each Advance or
portion thereof to be prepaid and, in the case of a mandatory prepayment, a
reasonably detailed calculation of the amount of such prepayment; provided that a
notice of prepayment of Advances pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section may
state that such notice is conditioned upon the occurrence of
18
one or
more events specified therein, in which case such notice may be revoked by the
Borrower (by notice to the Agent on or prior to the specified date of
prepayment) if such condition is not satisfied. Promptly following
receipt of any such notice, the Agent shall advise the Lenders of the contents
thereof. Each partial prepayment of any Advance shall be in a minimum
aggregate amount of $1,000,000 or any integral multiple of $1,000,000 in excess
thereof, except as necessary to apply fully the required amount of a mandatory
prepayment. Each prepayment of an Advance shall be applied ratably to
the Loans included in the prepaid Advance. Prepayments shall be
accompanied by accrued interest to the extent required by Section
2.18.
2.11. Method of Selecting Types
and Interest Periods for New Advances. The Borrower shall
select the Type of each Advance desired on the Closing Date and, in the case of
each Eurodollar Advance, the Interest Period applicable thereto; provided that there
shall be no more than three (3) Interest Periods in effect with respect to all
of the Loans of the Borrower at any time, unless such limit has been waived by
the Agent in its sole discretion. The Borrower shall give the Agent
irrevocable notice (a “Borrowing Notice”) not later than 11:00 a.m. (New York
time) on the Closing Date if the Loans are to be made as a Floating Rate Advance
and (unless the Lenders agree to a shorter time period) three Business Days
before the Closing Date if the Loans are to be made as one or more Eurodollar
Advances, specifying:
(i)
|
the
Closing Date, which shall be a Business
Day,
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(ii)
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the
aggregate amount of such Advance,
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(iii)
|
the
Type of Advance selected, and
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(iv)
|
in
the case of each Eurodollar Advance, the Interest Period applicable
thereto.
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The Agent
shall provide written notice of each request for borrowing under this Section
2.11 by 11:00 a.m. (New York time) (or, if later, within one hour after receipt
of the applicable Borrowing Notice from the Borrower) on the Closing Date for
each Floating Rate Advance or (unless the Lenders agree to a shorter time
period) on the third Business Day prior to the Closing Date for each Eurodollar
Advance, as applicable. Not later than 1:00 p.m. (New York time) on
the Closing Date, each Lender shall make available its Loans in Federal or other
funds immediately available in New York to the Agent at its address
specified pursuant to Article XIII. The Agent will promptly make the
funds so received from the Lenders available to the Borrower at the Agent’s
aforesaid address.
2.12. Conversion and Continuation
of Outstanding Advances; No Conversion or Continuation of Eurodollar Advances
After Default. Floating Rate Advances shall continue as
Floating Rate Advances unless and until such Floating Rate Advances are
converted into Eurodollar Advances pursuant to this Section 2.12 or are repaid
in accordance with Section 2.10. Each Eurodollar Advance shall
continue as a Eurodollar Advance until the end of the then applicable Interest
Period therefor, at which time such Eurodollar Advance shall be automatically
converted into a Floating Rate Advance unless (x) such Eurodollar Advance is or
was repaid in accordance with Section 2.10 or (y) the Borrower shall have given
the Agent a Conversion/Continuation Notice (as defined below) requesting that,
at the end of such Interest Period, such Eurodollar Advance continue as a
Eurodollar Advance for the same or another
19
Interest
Period. Subject to the terms of Section 2.9, the Borrower may elect
from time to time to convert all or any part of an Advance of any Type into any
other Type or Types of Advances; provided that any
conversion of any Eurodollar Advance shall be made on, and only on, the last day
of the Interest Period applicable thereto. Notwithstanding anything
to the contrary contained in this Section 2.12, during the continuance of a
Default or an Unmatured Default, the Agent may (or shall at the direction of the
Required Lenders), by notice to the Borrower, declare that no Advance may be
made, converted or continued as a Eurodollar Advance. The Borrower
shall give the Agent irrevocable notice (a “Conversion/Continuation Notice”) of
each conversion of an Advance or continuation of a Eurodollar Advance not later
than 11:00 a.m. (New York time) at least one (1) Business Day, in the case of a
conversion into a Floating Rate Advance, or three (3) Business Days, in the case
of a conversion into or continuation of a Eurodollar Advance, prior to the date
of the requested conversion or continuation, specifying:
(i)
|
the
requested date, which shall be a Business Day, of such conversion or
continuation,
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(ii)
|
the
aggregate amount and Type of the Advance to be converted or continued,
and
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(iii)
|
the
amount of the Advance to be converted into or continued as a Eurodollar
Advance and the duration of the Interest Period applicable
thereto.
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2.13. Interest Rates,
etc. Each Floating Rate Advance shall bear interest on the
outstanding principal amount thereof, for each day from and including the date
such Advance is made or is automatically converted from a Eurodollar Advance
into a Floating Rate Advance pursuant to Section 2.12, to but excluding the date
it is paid or is converted into a Eurodollar Advance pursuant to Section 2.12,
at a rate per annum equal to the Floating Rate for such day. Changes
in the rate of interest on that portion of any Advance maintained as a Floating
Rate Advance will take effect simultaneously with each change in the Floating
Rate. Each Eurodollar Advance shall bear interest on the outstanding
principal amount thereof from and including the first day of each Interest
Period applicable thereto to (but not including) the earlier of the last day of
such Interest Period or the date it is paid in accordance with Section 2.10 at
the Eurodollar Rate determined by the Agent as applicable to such Eurodollar
Advance based upon the Borrower’s selections under Sections 2.11 and 2.12 and
otherwise in accordance with the terms hereof.
2.14. Rates Applicable After
Default. During the continuance of a Default, the Required
Lenders may, at their option, by notice to the Borrower (which notice may be
revoked at the option of the Required Lenders notwithstanding any provision of
Section 8.2 requiring unanimous consent of the Lenders to changes in
interest rates), declare that (i) each Eurodollar Advance shall bear interest
for the remainder of the applicable Interest Period at the rate otherwise
applicable during such Interest Period plus 2% per annum and (ii) each Floating
Rate Advance shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Floating Rate
in effect from time to time plus 2% per annum, provided that, during
the continuance of a Default under Section 7.6 or 7.7, the interest rates set
forth in clauses (i) and (ii) above shall be applicable to all Advances, fees
and other Obligations of the Borrower hereunder without any election or action
on the part of the Agent or any Lender.
20
2.15. Funding of Loans; Method of
Payment. All payments of the Obligations hereunder shall be
made, without setoff, deduction or counterclaim, in immediately available funds
to the Agent at the Agent’s address specified pursuant to Article XIII, or at
any other Lending Installation of the Agent specified in writing by the Agent,
by 12:00 noon (New York time) on the date when due and shall be applied ratably
by the Agent among the Lenders. Each payment delivered to the Agent
for the account of any Lender shall be delivered promptly by the Agent to such
Lender in the same type of funds that the Agent received at its address
specified pursuant to Article XIII or at any Lending Installation specified in a
notice received by the Agent from such Lender.
2.16. Noteless Agreement; Evidence
of Indebtedness. (i) Each Lender shall maintain in
accordance with its usual practice an account or accounts evidencing the
indebtedness of the Borrower to such Lender resulting from each Loan made by
such Lender to the Borrower from time to time, including the amounts of
principal and interest payable and paid to such Lender from time to time
hereunder.
(ii)
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The
Agent shall also maintain accounts in which it will record (a) the date
and the amount of each Loan made to the Borrower hereunder, the Type
thereof and the Interest Period (in the case of a Eurodollar Advance) with
respect thereto, (b) the amount of any principal or interest due and
payable or to become due and payable from the Borrower to each Lender
hereunder, (c) the effective date and amount of each Assignment Agreement
delivered to and accepted by it pursuant to Section 12.3 and the parties
thereto, (d) the amount of any sum received by the Agent hereunder from
the Borrower and each Lender’s share thereof, and (e) all other
appropriate debits and credits as provided in this Agreement, including,
without limitation, all fees, charges, expenses and
interest.
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(iii)
|
The
entries maintained in the accounts maintained pursuant to paragraphs (i)
and (ii) above shall be prima facie evidence
absent manifest error of the existence and amounts of the Obligations
therein recorded; provided, however, that the failure of
the Agent or any Lender to maintain such accounts or any error therein
shall not in any manner affect the obligation of the Borrower to repay the
Obligations in accordance with their
terms.
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(iv)
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Any
Lender may request that its Loans be evidenced by a promissory note in
substantially the form of Exhibit E (a “Note”). In such event,
the Borrower shall prepare, execute and deliver to such Lender such Note
payable to the order of such Lender. Thereafter, the Loans
evidenced by such Note and interest thereon shall at all times (prior to
any assignment pursuant to Section 12.3) be represented by one or more
Notes payable to the order of the payee named therein, except to the
extent that any such Lender subsequently returns any such Note for
cancellation and requests that such Loans once again be evidenced as
described in paragraphs (i) and (ii)
above.
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2.17. Telephonic
Notices. The Borrower hereby authorizes the Lenders and the
Agent to extend, convert or continue Advances, effect selections of Types of
Advances and to transfer funds based on telephonic notices made by any person or
persons the Agent or any Lender in
21
good
faith believes to be acting on behalf of the Borrower, it being understood that
the foregoing authorization is specifically intended to allow Borrowing Notices
and Conversion/Continuation Notices to be given telephonically. The
Borrower agrees to deliver promptly to the Agent a written confirmation, signed
by an Authorized Officer, if such confirmation is requested by the Agent or any
Lender, of each telephonic notice. If the written confirmation
differs in any material respect from the action taken by the Agent and the
Lenders, the records of the Agent and the Lenders shall govern absent manifest
error.
2.18. Interest Payment Dates;
Interest Basis. Interest accrued on each Floating Rate Advance
shall be payable in arrears on each Payment Date, commencing with the first such
date to occur after the Closing Date, on any date on which such Floating Rate
Advance is prepaid, whether due to acceleration or otherwise, and at
maturity. Interest accrued on that portion of the outstanding
principal amount of any Floating Rate Advance converted into a Eurodollar
Advance on a day other than a Payment Date shall be payable on the date of
conversion. Interest accrued on each Eurodollar Advance shall be
payable on the last day of each applicable Interest Period, on any date on which
the Eurodollar Advance is prepaid, whether by acceleration or otherwise, and at
maturity. Interest accrued on each Eurodollar Advance having an
Interest Period longer than three months shall also be payable on the last day
of each three-month interval during such Interest Period. Interest
accrued on any Advance that is not paid when due shall be payable on demand and
on the date of payment in full. Interest on Eurodollar Advances
hereunder shall be calculated for actual days elapsed on the basis of a 360-day
year. Interest on Floating Rate Advances shall be calculated for
actual days elapsed on the basis of a 365/366-day year. Interest
shall be payable for the day an Advance is made but not for the day of any
payment on the amount paid if payment is received prior to 12:00 noon (New York
time) at the place of payment. If any payment of principal of or
interest on an Advance or any other amounts payable to the Agent or any Lender
hereunder shall become due on a day which is not a Business Day, such payment
shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day and, in the case of principal
payment, such extension of time shall be included in computing interest and
commissions in connection with such payment.
2.19. Notification of Advances,
Interest Rates, Prepayments and Commitment Reductions; Availability of
Loans. Promptly after receipt thereof, the Agent will notify
each Lender in writing of the contents of each Commitment reduction notice,
Borrowing Notice, Conversion/Continuation Notice, and repayment notice received
by it hereunder. The Agent will notify the Borrower and each Lender
of the interest rate applicable to each Eurodollar Advance promptly upon
determination of such interest rate and will give the Borrower and each Lender
prompt notice of each change in the Floating Rate.
2.20. Lending
Installations. Each Lender may book its Loans at any Lending
Installation selected by such Lender and may change its Lending Installation
from time to time. All terms of this Agreement shall apply to any
such Lending Installation and the Loans and any Notes issued hereunder shall be
deemed held by each Lender for the benefit of any such Lending
Installation. Each Lender may, by written notice to the Agent and the
Borrower in accordance with Article XIII, designate replacement or additional
Lending Installations through which Loans will be made by it and for whose
account Loan payments are to be made.
22
2.21. Non-Receipt of Funds by the
Agent. Unless the Borrower or a Lender, as the case may be,
notifies the Agent prior to the date (or, in the case of a Lender with respect
to a Floating Rate Advance under Section 2.11, prior to the time) on which it is
scheduled to make payment to the Agent of (i) in the case of a Lender, the
proceeds of a Loan or (ii) in the case of the Borrower, a payment of principal
or interest to the Agent for the account of the Lenders, that it does not intend
to make such payment, the Agent may assume that such payment has been
made. The Agent may, but shall not be obligated to, make the amount
of such payment available to the intended recipient in reliance upon such
assumption. If such Lender or the Borrower, as the case may be, has
not in fact made such payment to the Agent, the recipient of such payment shall,
on demand by the Agent, repay to the Agent the amount so made available together
with interest thereon in respect of each day during the period commencing on the
date such amount was so made available by the Agent until the date the Agent
recovers such amount at a rate per annum equal to (x) in the case of payment by
a Lender, the Federal Funds Effective Rate for such day for the first three days
and, thereafter, the interest rate applicable to the relevant Loan or (y) in the
case of payment by the Borrower, the interest rate applicable to the relevant
Loan.
2.22. Replacement of
Lender. If the Borrower is required pursuant to Section 3.1,
3.2 or 3.5 to make any additional payment to any Lender or if any Lender’s
obligation to make or continue, or to convert Floating Rate Advances into,
Eurodollar Advances shall be suspended pursuant to Section 3.3 (any Lender so
affected an “Affected Lender”), the Borrower may elect, if such amounts continue
to be charged or such suspension is still effective, to require such Affected
Lender to assign its Loans, provided that no
Default or Unmatured Default shall have occurred and be continuing at the time
of such assignment, and provided further that,
concurrently with such assignment, (i) another bank or other entity which is
reasonably satisfactory to the Borrower and the Agent shall agree, as of date of
such assignment, to purchase for cash at face amount the Loans of the Affected
Lender pursuant to an Assignment Agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit
C and to become a Lender for all purposes under this Agreement and to assume all
obligations of the Affected Lender and to comply with the requirements of
Section 12.3 applicable to assignments, and (ii) the Borrower shall pay to such
Affected Lender in immediately available funds on the day of such assignment (A)
all interest and other amounts then accrued but unpaid to such Affected Lender
by the Borrower hereunder to and including the date of assignment, including
without limitation payments due to such Affected Lender under Sections 3.1, 3.2
and 3.5, and (B) an amount, if any, equal to the payment which would have been
due to such Lender on the day of such assignment under Section 3.4 had the Loans
of such Affected Lender been prepaid on such date rather than sold to the
assignee Lender, in each case to the extent not paid by the purchasing
lender.
ARTICLE
III
YIELD
PROTECTION; TAXES
3.1. Yield
Protection. If, on or after the Closing Date, the adoption of
any law or any governmental or quasi-governmental rule, regulation, policy,
guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law), or any change
in any such law, rule, regulation, policy, guideline or directive or in the
interpretation or administration thereof by any governmental or
quasi-
23
governmental
authority, central bank or comparable agency charged with the interpretation or
administration thereof, or compliance by any Lender or applicable Lending
Installation with any request or directive (whether or not having the force of
law) of any such authority, central bank or comparable agency:
3.1.1 subjects
any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation to any Taxes, or changes the
basis of taxation of payments (other than with respect to Excluded Taxes) to any
Lender in respect of its Eurodollar Loans, or
3.1.2 imposes
or increases or deems applicable any reserve, assessment, insurance charge,
special deposit or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for
the account of, or credit extended by, any Lender or any applicable Lending
Installation (other than reserves and assessments taken into account in
determining the interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Advances),
or
3.1.3 imposes
any other condition the result of which is to increase the cost to any Lender or
any applicable Lending Installation of making, funding or maintaining its
Commitment or Eurodollar Loans or reduces any amount receivable by any Lender or
any applicable Lending Installation in connection with its Commitment or
Eurodollar Loans, or requires any Lender or any applicable Lending Installation
to make any payment calculated by reference to the amount of Commitment or
Eurodollar Loans held or interest received by it, by an amount deemed material
by such Lender,and the
result of any of the foregoing is to increase the cost to such Lender or
applicable Lending Installation of making or maintaining its Commitment or
Eurodollar Loans or to reduce the return received by such Lender or applicable
Lending Installation in connection with such Commitment or Eurodollar Loans,
then, within 15 days of demand, accompanied by the written statement required by
Section 3.6, by such Lender, the Borrower shall pay such Lender such additional
amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender for such increased cost or
reduction in amount received.
3.2. Changes in Capital Adequacy
Regulations. If a Lender determines the amount of capital
required or expected to be maintained by such Lender, any Lending Installation
of such Lender or any corporation controlling such Lender is increased as a
result of a Change, then, within 15 days of demand, accompanied by the written
statement required by Section 3.6, by such Lender, the Borrower shall pay such
Lender the amount necessary to compensate for any shortfall in the rate of
return on the portion of such increased capital which such Lender determines is
attributable to this Agreement, its Loans or its Commitment hereunder (after
taking into account such Lender’s policies as to capital
adequacy). “Change” means (i) any change after the Closing Date in
the Risk-Based Capital Guidelines or (ii) any adoption of, or change in, or
change in the interpretation or administration of any other law, governmental or
quasi-governmental rule, regulation, policy, guideline, interpretation, or
directive (whether or not having the force of law) after the Closing Date which
affects the amount of capital required or expected to be maintained by any
Lender or any Lending Installation or any corporation
24
controlling
any Lender. “Risk-Based Capital Guidelines” means (i) the risk-based
capital guidelines in effect in the United States on the Closing Date, including
transition rules, and (ii) the corresponding capital regulations promulgated by
regulatory authorities outside the United States implementing the July 1988
report of the Basle Committee on Banking Regulation and Supervisory Practices
Entitled “International Convergence of Capital Measurements and Capital
Standards,” including transition rules, and any amendments to such regulations
adopted prior to the Closing Date.
3.3. Availability of Types of
Advances. If (x) any Lender determines that maintenance of its
Eurodollar Loans at a suitable Lending Installation would violate any applicable
law, rule, regulation, or directive, whether or not having the force of law, or
(y) the Required Lenders determine that (i) deposits of a type and maturity
appropriate to match fund Eurodollar Advances are not available or (ii) the
interest rate applicable to Eurodollar Advances does not accurately reflect the
cost of making or maintaining Eurodollar Advances, or (iii) no reasonable basis
exists for determining the Eurodollar Base Rate, then the Agent shall suspend
the availability of Eurodollar Advances and require any affected Eurodollar
Advances to be repaid or converted to Floating Rate Advances on the respective
last days of the then current Interest Periods with respect to such Loans or
within such earlier period as required by law, subject to the payment of any
funding indemnification amounts required by Section 3.4.
3.4. Funding
Indemnification. If any payment of a Eurodollar Advance occurs
on a date which is not the last day of the applicable Interest Period, whether
because of acceleration, prepayment or otherwise, or a Eurodollar Advance is not
made or continued or a Floating Rate Advance is not converted into a Eurodollar
Advance on the date specified by the Borrower for any reason other than default
by the Lenders, or a Eurodollar Advance is not prepaid on the date specified by
the Borrower for any reason, the Borrower will indemnify each Lender for any
loss or cost incurred by it resulting therefrom, including, without limitation,
any loss or cost in liquidating or employing deposits acquired to fund or
maintain such Eurodollar Advance.
3.5. Taxes.
(i)
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All
payments by the Borrower to or for the account of any Lender or the Agent
hereunder or under any Note shall be made free and clear of and without
deduction for any and all Taxes. If the Borrower shall be
required by law to deduct any Taxes from or in respect of any sum payable
hereunder by the Borrower to any Lender or the Agent, (a) the sum payable
shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required
deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable
under this Section 3.5) such Lender or the Agent (as the case may be)
receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such
deductions been made, (b) the Borrower shall make such deductions,
(c) the Borrower shall pay the full amount deducted to the relevant
authority in accordance with applicable law and (d) the Borrower shall
furnish to the Agent the original copy of a receipt evidencing payment
thereof or, if a receipt cannot be obtained with reasonable efforts, such
other evidence of payment as is reasonably acceptable to the Agent, in
each case within 30 days after such payment is
made.
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25
(ii)
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In
addition, the Borrower agrees to pay any present or future stamp or
documentary taxes and any other excise or property taxes, charges or
similar levies which arise from any payment made hereunder or under any
Note or from the execution or delivery of, or otherwise with respect to,
this Agreement or any Note (“Other
Taxes”).
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(iii)
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The
Borrower shall indemnify the Agent and each Lender for the full amount of
Taxes or Other Taxes (including, without limitation, any Taxes or Other
Taxes imposed on amounts payable under this Section 3.5) paid by the Agent
or such Lender and any liability (including penalties, interest and
expenses) arising therefrom or with respect thereto. Payments
due under this indemnification shall be made within 30 days of the date
the Agent or such Lender makes demand therefor pursuant to Section
3.6.
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(iv)
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Each
Lender that is not incorporated under the laws of the United States of
America or a state thereof (each a “Non-U.S. Lender”) agrees that it will,
not more than ten Business Days after the date on which it becomes a party
to this Agreement (but in any event before a payment is due to it
hereunder), (i) deliver to the Borrower and the Agent two duly completed
copies of United States Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or W-8ECI,
certifying in either case that such Lender is entitled to receive payments
under this Agreement without deduction or withholding of any United States
federal income taxes, or (ii) in the case of a Non-U.S. Lender that is
fiscally transparent, deliver to the Agent a United States Internal
Revenue Form W-8IMY together with the applicable accompanying forms, W-8
or W-9, as the case may be, and certify that it is entitled to an
exemption from United States withholding tax. Each Non-U.S.
Lender further undertakes to deliver to the Borrower and the Agent (x)
renewals or additional copies of such form (or any successor form) on or
before the date that such form expires or becomes obsolete, and (y) after
the occurrence of any event requiring a change in the most recent forms so
delivered by it, such additional forms or amendments thereto as may be
reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Agent. All forms or
amendments described in the preceding sentence shall certify that such
Lender is entitled to receive payments under this Agreement without
deduction or withholding of any United States federal income taxes, unless an event
(including without limitation any change in treaty, law or regulation) has
occurred prior to the date on which any such delivery would otherwise be
required which renders all such forms inapplicable or which would prevent
such Lender from duly completing and delivering any such form or amendment
with respect to it and such Lender advises the Borrower and the Agent that
it is not capable of receiving payments without any deduction or
withholding of United States federal income
tax.
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(v)
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For
any period during which a Non-U.S. Lender has failed to provide the
Borrower with an appropriate form pursuant to clause (iv) above (unless
such failure is due to a change in treaty, law or regulation, or any
change in the interpretation or administration thereof by any governmental
authority, occurring subsequent to the date on which such Non-U.S. Lender
became a party to this
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26
Agreement (or, in the case of Non-U.S. Lender that becomes a
Lender pursuant to an assignment, unless and to the extent the assigning Lender
was entitled, at the time of the assignment, to receive additional amounts with
respect to such withholding taxes pursuant to this Section 3.5), such Non-U.S.
Lender shall not be entitled to indemnification under this Section 3.5 with
respect to Taxes imposed by the United States; provided that, should
a Non-U.S. Lender which is otherwise exempt from or subject to a reduced rate of
withholding tax become subject to Taxes because of its failure to deliver a form
required under clause (iv) above, the Borrower shall take such steps as such
Non-U.S. Lender shall reasonably request to assist such Non-U.S. Lender to
recover such Taxes.
(vi)
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Any
Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding
tax with respect to payments under this Agreement or any Note pursuant to
the law of any relevant jurisdiction or any treaty shall deliver to the
Borrower (with a copy to the Agent), at the time or times prescribed by
applicable law, such properly completed and executed documentation
prescribed by applicable law as will permit such payments to be made
without withholding or at a reduced
rate.
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(vii)
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If
the U.S. Internal Revenue Service or any other governmental authority of
the United States or any other country or any political subdivision
thereof asserts a claim that the Agent did not properly withhold tax from
amounts paid to or for the account of any Lender (because the appropriate
form was not delivered or properly completed, because such Lender failed
to notify the Agent of a change in circumstances which rendered its
exemption from withholding ineffective, or for any other reason), such
Lender shall indemnify the Agent fully for all amounts paid, directly or
indirectly, by the Agent as tax, withholding therefor, or otherwise,
including penalties and interest, and including taxes imposed by any
jurisdiction on amounts payable to the Agent under this subsection,
together with all reasonable costs and expenses related thereto (including
attorneys’ fees and time charges of attorneys for the Agent, which
attorneys may be employees of the Agent). The obligations of
the Lenders under this Section 3.5(vii) shall survive the payment of the
Obligations and termination of this
Agreement.
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3.6. Lender Statements; Survival
of Indemnity. Each Lender shall deliver a written statement of
such Lender to the Borrower (with a copy to the Agent) as to the amount due, if
any, under Section 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 or 3.5. Such written statement shall
set forth in reasonable detail the calculations upon which such Lender
determined such amount and shall be final, conclusive and binding on the
Borrower in the absence of manifest error, and upon reasonable request of the
Borrower, such Lender shall promptly provide supporting documentation describing
and/or evidence of the applicable event giving rise to such amount to the extent
not inconsistent with such Lender’s policies or applicable
law. Determination of amounts payable under such Sections in
connection with a Eurodollar Loan shall be calculated as though each Lender
funded its Eurodollar Loan through the purchase of a deposit of the type,
currency and maturity corresponding to the deposit used as a reference in
determining the Eurodollar Rate applicable to such Loan, whether in fact that is
the case or not. Unless otherwise provided herein, the amount
specified in the written statement of any Lender shall be payable on demand
after receipt by the Borrower of such written statement. The
obligations of the Borrower under Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.4
27
and 3.5
shall survive payment of the Obligations and termination of this
Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Borrower shall not be
responsible for any reimbursement of any such amount which shall have accrued
and of which the applicable Lender shall have become aware more than 180 days
prior to its delivery to the Borrower of notice requesting reimbursement
thereof.
3.7. Alternative Lending
Installation. To the extent reasonably possible, each Lender
shall designate an alternate Lending Installation with respect to its Eurodollar
Loans to reduce any liability of the Borrower to such Lender under Sections 3.1,
3.2 and 3.5 or to avoid the unavailability of Eurodollar Advances under Section
3.3, so long as such designation is not, in the judgment of such Lender,
disadvantageous to such Lender. A Lender’s designation of an
alternative Lending Installation shall not affect the Borrower’s rights under
Section 2.22 to replace a Lender.
ARTICLE
IV
CONDITIONS
PRECEDENT
4.1. Closing
Date. The obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder
shall not become effective until the date on which (i) the Agent shall have
received from each party hereto either (A) a counterpart of this Agreement
signed on behalf of such party or (B) evidence satisfactory to the Agent (which
may include a facsimile or pdf transmission) that such party has signed a
counterpart of this Agreement and (ii) the satisfaction of the following
conditions precedent and the delivery by the Borrower to the Agent of the items
specified below:
4.1.1 Copies of
the articles or certificate of incorporation of the Borrower, together with all
amendments thereto, certified by the secretary or an assistant secretary of the
Borrower, and a certificate of good standing with respect to the Borrower from
the appropriate governmental officer in its jurisdiction of
incorporation.
4.1.2 Copies,
certified by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Borrower, of its
by-laws and of its Board of Directors’ resolutions and of resolutions or actions
of any other body authorizing the execution of the Loan Documents.
4.1.3 An
incumbency certificate, executed by the Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the
Borrower, which shall identify by name and title and bear the signatures of the
Authorized Officers and any other officers of the Borrower authorized to sign
the Loan Documents to which the Borrower is a party, upon which certificate the
Agent and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely until informed of any change in
writing by the Borrower.
4.1.4 A
certificate, signed by the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, President,
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, any Senior Vice President,
any Vice President or the Treasurer of the Borrower, stating that on the Closing
Date (a) no Default or Unmatured Default has occurred and is
28
continuing,
and (b) all of the representations and warranties in Article V shall be true and
correct in all material respects as of such date except to the extent any such
representation or warranty is stated to relate solely to an earlier date, in
which case such representation or warranty shall have been true and correct on
and as of such earlier date.
4.1.5 Written
opinion of the Borrower’s counsel, in form and substance satisfactory to the
Agent and addressed to the Lenders, in substantially the form of Exhibit
A.
4.1.6 [omitted].
4.1.7 Any Notes
requested by Lenders pursuant to Section 2.16 payable to the order of each such
requesting Lender.
4.1.8 Written
money transfer instructions, in substantially the form of Exhibit D, addressed
to the Agent and signed by an Authorized Officer, together with such other
related money transfer authorizations as the Agent may have reasonably
requested.
4.1.9 All
documentation and other information that any Lender shall reasonably have
requested in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable “know
your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including the
USA Patriot Act.
4.1.10 Such
other documents as any Lender or its counsel may have reasonably
requested.
4.1.11 The
Lenders shall not be required to make any Loan on the Closing Date
unless:
(a) There
exists no Default or Unmatured Default.
(b) The
representations and warranties contained in Article V are true and correct in
all material respects as of the Closing Date except to the extent any such
representation or warranty is stated to relate solely to an earlier date, in
which case such representation or warranty shall have been true and correct on
and as of such earlier date.
(c) All
legal matters incident to the making of such Loan shall be satisfactory to the
Lenders and their counsel.
The
Borrowing Notice with respect to the Loans on the Closing Date shall constitute
a representation and warranty by the Borrower that the conditions contained in
Section 4.1.11 have been satisfied. Any Lender may require a duly
completed compliance certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit B as a
condition to making a Loan. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
obligations of the Lenders to make Loans shall not become effective, and the
Closing Date shall
29
not
occur, unless each of the foregoing conditions is satisfied (or waived pursuant
to Section 8.2) at or prior to 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on July 3,
2008.
ARTICLE
V
REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES
The
Borrower represents and warrants to each Lender and the Agent, as to the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries, as of each of (i) the date hereof and (ii) the
Closing Date:
5.1. Existence and
Standing. The Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries (other
than any Project Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary or an SPC) is a
corporation, partnership (in the case of Subsidiaries only) or limited liability
company duly and properly incorporated or organized, as the case may be, validly
existing and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) in good
standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization and
has all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in
which its business is conducted.
5.2. Authorization and
Validity. The Borrower has the power and authority and legal
right to execute and deliver the Loan Documents and to perform its obligations
thereunder. The execution and delivery by the Borrower of the Loan
Documents and the performance of its obligations thereunder have been duly
authorized by proper proceedings, and the Loan Documents to which the Borrower
is a party constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the Borrower
enforceable against the Borrower in accordance with their terms, except as
enforceability may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
conveyance, reorganization or similar laws relating to or affecting the
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; (ii) general equitable principles
(whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and (iii) requirements
of reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing.
5.3. No Conflict; Government
Consent. Neither the execution and delivery by the Borrower of
the Loan Documents, nor the consummation of the transactions therein
contemplated, nor compliance with the provisions thereof will violate (i) any
law, rule, regulation, order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree or award
binding on the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or (ii) the Borrower’s or any
Subsidiary’s articles or certificate of incorporation, partnership agreement,
certificate of partnership, articles or certificate of organization, by-laws, or
operating agreement or other management agreement, as the case may be, or (iii)
the provisions of any indenture, any material instrument or any material
agreement to which the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or is
subject, or by which it, or its Property, is bound, or conflict with, or
constitute a default under, or result in, or require, the creation or imposition
of any Lien in, of or on the Property of the Borrower or a Subsidiary
pursuant to the terms of, any such indenture, instrument or
agreement. No order, consent, adjudication, approval, license,
authorization, or validation of, or filing, recording or registration with, or
exemption by, or other action in respect of any governmental or public body or
authority, or any subdivision thereof, which has not been obtained by the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, is required to be obtained by the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with the execution and delivery of the
Loan Documents, the borrowings under this Agreement, the
30
payment
and performance by the Borrower of the Obligations or the legality, validity,
binding effect or enforceability of any of the Loan Documents.
5.4. Financial
Statements. The December 31, 2007, consolidated financial
statements of the Borrower, audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, for the
fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, and the unaudited consolidated balance
sheet of the Borrower as of March 31, 2008, and the related unaudited
statement of income and statement of cash flows for the three-month period then
ended, copies of which have been furnished to each Lender, fairly present in all
material respects (subject in the case of such balance sheet and statement of
income for the period ended March 31, 2008, to year-end adjustments) the
consolidated financial condition of the Borrower at such dates and the
consolidated results of the operations of the Borrower for the periods ended on
such dates, were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles in effect on the dates such statements were prepared (except for the
absence of footnotes and subject to year end audit adjustments) and fairly
present the consolidated financial condition and operations of the Borrower at
such dates and the consolidated results of its operations for the periods then
ended. Except as disclosed in the financial statements referred to
above or the notes thereto, neither the Borrower nor any of the Subsidiaries has
as of the Closing Date any material contingent liabilities.
5.5. Material Adverse
Change. Since March 31, 2008, there has been no change in
the business, Property, condition (financial or otherwise) or results of
operations of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries (other than any Project Finance
Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary) which could reasonably be expected to
have a Material Adverse Effect (a “Material Adverse Change”), except for the
Disclosed Matters; provided, however, that neither
(i) any ratings downgrade applicable to the Indebtedness of the Borrower or any
of its Subsidiaries by Xxxxx’x or S&P nor (ii) the Borrower’s or any of its
Subsidiaries’ inability to place commercial paper in the capital markets, shall,
in and of themselves, be deemed events constituting a Material Adverse
Change.
5.6. Taxes. The
Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all United States federal tax returns
and all other material tax returns which are required to be filed and have paid
all taxes due pursuant to said returns or pursuant to any assessment received by
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, except in respect of such taxes, if
any, as are being contested in good faith and as to which adequate reserves have
been provided in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles and as to which
no Lien exists (except as permitted by Section 6.13.2). The Internal
Revenue Service has closed audits of the consolidated United States federal
income tax returns filed by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries through the
calendar taxable year ending December 31, 2004. The Internal Revenue
Service has not closed audits of the consolidated United States federal income
tax returns filed by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries for subsequent
periods. No claims have been, or are being, asserted with respect to
such taxes that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect, and no liens have been filed with respect to such taxes. The
charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
in respect of any taxes or other governmental charges are adequate.
5.7. Litigation and Contingent
Obligations. Other than the Disclosed Matters, there is no
litigation, arbitration, governmental investigation, proceeding or inquiry
pending or, to the knowledge of any of its officers, threatened against or
affecting the Borrower or any of its
31
Subsidiaries
which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or which
seeks to prevent, enjoin or delay the making of any Loans.
5.8. Subsidiaries. Schedule
1 contains an accurate list of all Subsidiaries of the Borrower as of the date
of this Agreement, setting forth their respective jurisdictions of organization
and the percentage of their respective capital stock or other ownership
interests owned by the Borrower or other Subsidiaries of the
Borrower. All the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock or
other ownership interests of such Subsidiaries have been (to the extent such
concepts are relevant with respect to such ownership interests) duly authorized
and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable.
5.9. ERISA. No
ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur that, when taken
together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred or are reasonably
expected to occur, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect.
5.10. Accuracy of
Information. The information, exhibits or reports with respect
to the Borrower furnished to the Agent or to any Lender in connection with the
negotiation of, or compliance with, the Loan Documents as of the date furnished
do not contain any material misstatement of fact or omit to state a material
fact or any fact necessary to make the statements contained therein not
misleading.
5.11. Regulation
U. Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is engaged
principally, or as one of its important activities, in the business of extending
credit for the purpose, whether immediate, incidental or ultimate, of buying or
carrying margin stock (as defined in Regulation U), and after applying the
proceeds of each Advance, margin stock (as defined in Regulation U) will
constitute less than 25% of the value of those assets of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries that are subject to any limitation on sale, pledge, or any other
restriction hereunder.
5.12. Material
Agreements. Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries
is a party to any agreement or instrument or subject to any charter or other
corporate restriction which could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect as described in clauses (ii) and/or (iii) of the definition
thereof. Neither the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is in
default in the performance, observance or fulfillment of any of the obligations,
covenants or conditions contained in (i) any agreement or instrument to which it
is a party, which default could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect or (ii) any agreement or instrument evidencing or governing
Indebtedness, which default could be reasonably expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect.
5.13. Compliance With
Laws. Except for the Disclosed Matters, the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries have complied with all applicable statutes, rules, regulations,
orders and restrictions of any domestic or foreign government or any
instrumentality or agency thereof having jurisdiction over the conduct of their
respective businesses or the ownership of their respective Property,
non-compliance with which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material
Adverse Effect.
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5.14. Ownership of
Properties. The Borrower and its Subsidiaries have good title
(except for minor defects in title that do not interfere with their ability to
conduct their business as currently conducted or to utilize such properties for
the intended purposes), free of all Liens other than those permitted by Section
6.13, to all of the assets material to the Borrower’s business reflected in the
Borrower’s most recent consolidated financial statements provided to the Agent,
as owned by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
5.15. Plan Assets; Prohibited
Transactions. The Borrower is not an entity deemed to hold
“plan assets” within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. § 2510.3-101 of an employee
benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) which is subject to Title I
of ERISA or any plan (within the meaning of Section 4975 of the Code), and
assuming the accuracy of the representations and warranties made in Section 9.12
and in any assignment made pursuant to Section 12.3.3, neither the execution of
this Agreement nor the making of Loans hereunder gives rise to a prohibited
transaction within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the
Code.
5.16. Environmental
Matters. In the ordinary course of its business, the officers
of the Borrower consider the effect of Environmental Laws on the business of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries, in the course of which they identify and evaluate
potential risks and liabilities accruing to the Borrower due to Environmental
Laws. On the basis of this consideration, the Borrower has concluded
that, other than the Disclosed Matters, Environmental Laws cannot reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except for the Disclosed
Matters, and except with respect to any other matters that, individually or in
the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect, neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary has received any notice to the
effect that its operations are not in material compliance with any of the
requirements of applicable Environmental Laws or are the subject of any federal
or state investigation evaluating whether any remedial action is needed to
respond to a release of any toxic or hazardous waste or substance into the
environment.
5.17. Investment Company
Act. Neither the Borrower nor any Subsidiary of the Borrower
is an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company”,
within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended.
5.18. Regulatory
Matters. The Borrower is a “holding company”, as such term is
defined in the 2005 Act. On the Closing Date, no regulatory
authorizations, approvals, consents, registrations, declarations or filings are
required in connection with the borrowings by the Borrower hereunder or the
performance by the Borrower of its Obligations.
5.19. Insurance. The
Borrower maintains, and has caused each of its Subsidiaries to maintain, with
financially sound and reputable insurance companies insurance on all its
Property in such amounts, subject to such deductibles and self-insurance
retentions and covering such properties and risks as are consistent with sound
business practice.
5.20. No Default or Unmatured
Default. No Default or Unmatured Default has occurred and is
continuing.
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ARTICLE
VI
COVENANTS
During
the term of this Agreement, unless the Required Lenders shall otherwise consent
in writing:
6.1. Financial
Reporting. The Borrower will maintain, for itself and each of
its subsidiaries, a system of accounting established and administered in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and furnish to the
Agent, and the Agent shall promptly deliver to each of the Lenders (it being
agreed that the obligation of the Borrower to furnish the consolidated financial
statements referred to in paragraphs 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 below may be satisfied by
the delivery of annual and quarterly reports from the Borrower to the SEC on
Forms 10-K and 10-Q containing such statements):
6.1.1 Within 75
days after the close of each fiscal year, the Borrower’s audited financial
statements prepared in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles on a
consolidated basis, including balance sheets as of the end of such period,
statements of income and statements of cash flows, accompanied by (a) an audit
report, unqualified as to scope, of a nationally recognized firm of independent
public accountants; (b) any management letter prepared by said accountants, and
(c) a certificate of said accountants that, in the course of their audit of the
foregoing, they have obtained no knowledge that the Borrower failed to comply
with certain terms, covenants and provisions of this Agreement as they relate to
accounting matters, or, if in the opinion of such accountants any such failure
shall have occurred, stating the nature and status thereof. In
addition, the Borrower shall deliver for each of Union Electric, Genco, CIPS,
CILCO, CILCORP and IP the financial statements and any items referred to under
clauses (a) and (b) that would have been required to be delivered by it under
this Section 6.1.1 if it were the Borrower at such time.
6.1.2 Within 45
days after the close of the first three quarterly periods of each of its fiscal
years, the Borrower’s consolidated unaudited balance sheets as at the close of
each such period and consolidated statements of income and a statement of cash
flows for the period from the beginning of such fiscal year to the end of such
quarter, all certified as to fairness of presentation, compliance with Agreement
Accounting Principles and consistency by the Borrower’s chief financial officer,
controller or treasurer. In addition, the Borrower shall deliver for
each of Union Electric, Genco, CIPS, CILCO, CILCORP and IP the financial
statements and the certification of its chief financial officer, controller or
treasurer that would have been required to be delivered by it under this Section
6.1.2 if it were the Borrower at such time.
6.1.3 Together
with the financial statements required under Sections 6.1.1 and 6.1.2, a
compliance certificate in substantially the form of Exhibit B
34
signed by
the Borrower’s chief financial officer, controller or treasurer showing the
calculations necessary to determine compliance with this Agreement and stating
that no Default or Unmatured Default exists, or if any Default or Unmatured
Default exists, stating the nature and status thereof.
6.1.4 As soon
as possible and in any event within 10 days after the Borrower knows that any
ERISA Event has occurred that, alone or together with any other ERISA Events
that have occurred, could reasonably be expected to result in liability of the
Borrower, its Subsidiaries or any Commonly Controlled Entity in an aggregate
amount exceeding $25,000,000, a statement, signed by the chief financial
officer, controller or treasurer of the Borrower, describing said ERISA Event
and the action which the Borrower proposes to take with respect
thereto.
6.1.5 As soon
as possible and in any event within 10 days after receipt by the Borrower, a
copy of (a) any notice or claim to the effect that the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries is or may be liable to any Person as a result of the release by the
Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries, or any other Person of any toxic or hazardous
waste or substance into the environment, and (b) any notice alleging any
violation of any federal, state or local environmental, health or safety law or
regulation by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, which, in either case,
could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.1.6 Promptly
upon becoming aware thereof, notice of any upgrading or downgrading of the
rating if so rated) of the Borrower’s Obligations hereunder, senior unsecured
debt or commercial paper, or of the Borrower’s corporate, issuer or issuer
default rating by Xxxxx’x, S&P or Fitch.
6.1.7 Such
other information (including non-financial information) as the Agent or any
Lender may from time to time reasonably
request.
6.2. Use of
Proceeds. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, use the proceeds of the Advances for general corporate
purposes, including without limitation, for working capital, commercial paper
liquidity support with respect to commercial paper issued by the Borrower or its
Subsidiaries, to fund loans under and pursuant to the Money Pool Agreements, and
to pay fees and expenses incurred in connection with this
Agreement. The Borrower shall use the proceeds of Advances in
compliance with all applicable contractual, legal and regulatory requirements
and any such use shall not result in a violation of any such requirements,
including, without limitation, Regulation U and Regulation X, the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
the regulations promulgated thereunder.
6.3. Notice of
Default. Within five (5) Business Days after an Authorized
Officer of the Borrower becomes aware thereof, the Borrower will, and will cause
each Subsidiary to, give notice in writing to the Lenders of the occurrence of
any Default or Unmatured Default and, unless otherwise reported to the SEC in
the Borrower’s filings under the Securities Exchange Act
35
of 1934,
of any other development, financial or otherwise, which could reasonably be
expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
6.4. Conduct of
Business. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, carry on and conduct its business in substantially the same
manner and in substantially the same fields of enterprise in which it is
presently conducted or in a manner or fields of enterprise reasonably related
thereto and do all things necessary to remain duly incorporated or organized,
validly existing and (to the extent such concept applies to such entity) in good
standing as a domestic corporation, partnership or limited liability company in
its jurisdiction of incorporation or organization, as the case may be, and
maintain all requisite authority to conduct its business in each jurisdiction in
which its business is conducted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Borrower shall not be prohibited from dissolving any Inactive Subsidiary or from
the sale of any Subsidiary or assets pursuant to governmental or regulatory
order or pursuant to Section 6.11.
6.5. Taxes. The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, timely file complete
and correct United States federal and applicable foreign, state and local tax
returns required by law and pay when due all taxes, assessments and governmental
charges and levies upon it or its income, profits or Property, except those
which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and with
respect to which adequate reserves have been recorded in accordance with
Agreement Accounting Principles.
6.6. Insurance. The
Borrower will, and will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain with
financially sound and reputable insurance companies insurance on all its
Property in such amounts, subject to such deductibles and self-insurance
retentions, and covering such risks as is consistent with sound business
practice, and the Borrower will furnish to any Lender upon request full
information as to the insurance carried.
6.7. Compliance with
Laws. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, comply with all laws, rules, regulations, orders, writs,
judgments, injunctions, decrees or awards to which it may be subject including,
without limitation, all Environmental Laws, except where the failure to do so,
individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in
a Material Adverse Effect.
6.8. Maintenance of
Properties. Subject to Section 6.11, the Borrower will, and
will cause each of its Subsidiaries to, do all things necessary to maintain,
preserve, protect and keep its Property used in the operation of its business in
good repair, working order and condition (ordinary wear and tear excepted), and
make all necessary and proper repairs, renewals and replacements so that its
business carried on in connection therewith may be properly conducted at all
times.
6.9. Inspection; Keeping of Books
and Records. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its
Subsidiaries to, permit the Agent and the Lenders, by their respective
representatives and agents, to inspect any of the Property, books and financial
records of the Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries, to examine and make copies
of the books of accounts and other financial records of the Borrower and each of
its Subsidiaries, and to discuss the affairs, finances and accounts of the
Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries with, and to be advised as to the same by,
their respective officers at such reasonable times and intervals as the Agent or
any Lender may
36
designate. The
Borrower shall keep and maintain, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to keep and
maintain, in all material respects, proper books of record and account in which
entries in conformity with Agreement Accounting Principles shall be made of all
dealings and transactions in relation to their respective businesses and
activities. If a Default has occurred and is continuing, the
Borrower, upon the Agent’s request, shall turn over copies of any such records
to the Agent or its representatives.
6.10. Merger. The
Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, merge or
consolidate with or into any other Person, except (i) any Subsidiary may merge
with the Borrower if the Borrower is the corporation surviving such merger,
(ii) any Subsidiary may merge or consolidate with any other Subsidiary,
provided that
the Borrower’s aggregate direct and indirect ownership interest in the survivor
thereof shall not be less than the Borrower’s direct and indirect ownership
interest in either of such Subsidiaries prior to such merger, (iii) a Permitted
Illinois Utility Combination may be consummated and (iv) the Borrower or any
Subsidiary may merge or consolidate with any Person other than the Borrower or a
Subsidiary if (a) such Person was organized under the laws of the United States
of America or one of its States and (b) the Borrower or such Subsidiary is the
corporation surviving such merger; provided that, in
each case, after giving effect thereto, no Default will be in
existence.
6.11. Dispositions of
Assets. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, lease, sell or otherwise dispose of its Property to any other
Person, including any of its Subsidiaries, whether existing on the date hereof
or hereafter created, except:
6.11.1 Sales of
electricity, natural gas, emissions credits and other commodities in the
ordinary course of business.
6.11.2 A
disposition of assets by a Subsidiary of the Borrower to the Borrower or another
Subsidiary of the Borrower.
6.11.3 A
disposition by the Borrower or by a Subsidiary to one of its Subsidiaries of
Property received by the Borrower or such Subsidiary after the date hereof from
the Borrower or another subsidiary specifically for transfer to such other
Subsidiary.
6.11.4 The
payment of cash dividends by the Borrower or any Subsidiary to holders of its
equity interests.
6.11.5 Advances
of cash in the ordinary course of business pursuant to the Money Pool Agreements
or other intercompany borrowing arrangements with terms substantially similar to
those of the Money Pool Agreements.
6.11.6 A
disposition of obsolete property or property no longer used in the business of
the Borrower or its Subsidiaries.
6.11.7 The
transfer pursuant to a requirement of law or any regulatory authority having
jurisdiction, of functional and/or operational control of (but not of title to)
transmission facilities of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries to an Independent
System Operator, Regional Transmission Organization or to
37
some
other entity which has responsibility for operating and planning a regional
transmission system.
6.11.8 Dispositions
pursuant to Leveraged Lease Sales.
6.11.9 In the
case of Genco, direct loans to its railroad subsidiary up to a maximum of
$25,000,000 outstanding at any time.
6.11.10 Leases,
sales or other dispositions by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries of its
Property that, together with all other Property of the Borrower and its
Subsidiaries previously leased, sold or disposed of (other than dispositions
otherwise permitted by other provisions of this Section 6.11) since the Closing
Date, do not constitute Property which represents more than fifteen percent
(15%) of the Consolidated Tangible Assets of the Borrower as would be shown in
the consolidated financial statements of the Borrower and its subsidiaries as at
the end of the fiscal year ending immediately prior to the date of any such
lease, sale or other disposition.
6.11.11 Contributions,
directly or indirectly, of capital, in the form of either debt or equity, by the
Borrower or any Subsidiary to any Subsidiary of the Borrower (and contributions
by any such Subsidiary to one of its Subsidiaries of any such contribution
received by such Subsidiary after the date hereof from the Borrower or a
Subsidiary specifically for transfer to the Subsidiary of such
Subsidiary).
6.11.12 Transactions
under which the Borrower, or its Subsidiary, disposes of its Property and
receives in return consideration (i) in a form other than equity, other
ownership interests or indebtedness and (ii) of which at least 75% is cash
and/or assumption of debt; provided that any
such cash consideration so received, unless retained by the Borrower or its
Subsidiary at all times prior to the repayment of all Obligations under this
Agreement, shall be used (x) within twelve months of the receipt thereof for
investment or reinvestment by the Borrower or its Subsidiary in its existing
business or (y) within six months of the receipt thereof to reduce
Indebtedness of the Borrower or its Subsidiary, and provided further that after
taking into account the assets disposed of by the Borrower and its Subsidiaries
in the aggregate and any investment or reinvestment of the proceeds thereof in
the business of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries, no such transaction shall
result in the Borrower and its Subsidiaries as a whole having disposed of all or
substantially all of their assets.
6.11.13 Transfers
of Receivables (and rights ancillary thereto) pursuant to, and in accordance
with the terms of, a Permitted
Securitization.
6.11.14 Disposition,
directly or indirectly, by Ameren Illinois Transmission Company of electric
transmission facilities, and any and all property, plant and equipment and
property rights and interests related thereto,
38
acquired
after the Closing Date, in exchange for cash and/or assumption of debt; provided that any
such cash consideration so received, unless retained by Ameren Illinois
Transmission Company at all times prior to the repayment of all Obligations
under this Agreement, shall be used within twelve months of the receipt thereof
(x) for investment or reinvestment by Ameren Illinois Transmission Company in
its existing business, (y) to reduce Indebtedness of Ameren Illinois
Transmission Company or (z) to pay a dividend or return of capital to the
Borrower.
6.11.15 Any
transfer of equity interests in Resources as a result of which Resources ceases
to be subsidiary of CILCO (but would remain a subsidiary of the Borrower),
whether pursuant to a merger, sale, transfer or other corporate
reorganization.
6.11.16 Disposition
of assets deemed to have occurred by virtue of the consummation of a Permitted
Illinois Utility Combination consummated in accordance with Section
6.10.
6.12. Indebtedness of Project
Finance Subsidiaries or Non-Material Subsidiaries, Investments in Project
Finance Subsidiaries or Non-Material Subsidiaries and Other Investments;
Acquisitions.
6.12.1 Neither
the Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries shall be directly or indirectly,
primarily or secondarily, liable for any Indebtedness or any other form of
liability, whether direct, contingent or otherwise, of a Project Finance
Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary nor shall the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries provide any guarantee of the Indebtedness, liabilities or other
obligations of a Project Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material
Subsidiary. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its
Subsidiaries to, make or suffer to exist Investments in Project Finance
Subsidiaries or Non-Material Subsidiaries in excess of $100,000,000 in the
aggregate for the Borrower and all the Subsidiaries at any time. The
Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, consummate any
Acquisition other than an Acquisition (a) which is consummated on a
non-hostile basis approved by a majority of the board of directors or other
governing body of the Person being acquired and (b) which involves the purchase
of a business line similar, related, complementary or incidental to that of the
Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the Closing Date unless the purchase price
therefor is less than or equal to (i) $10,000,000 with respect thereto or (ii)
$50,000,000 when taken together with all other Acquisitions consummated by the
Borrower and all the Subsidiaries during the term of this Agreement which do not
otherwise satisfy the conditions described above in this clause (b), and, as of
the date of such Acquisition and after giving effect thereto, no Default or
Unmatured Default shall exist.
39
6.12.2 The
Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries to, make any
investment in, or lease, sell or otherwise dispose of any asset to, any
Affiliate of the Borrower which is not a Subsidiary other than:
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(i)
|
as
would be permitted under any of Sections 6.11.1, 6.11.8, 6.11.13, 6.11.15
and/or 6.11.16,
|
|
(ii)
|
in
the case of the Borrower, investments in and leases, sales and other
dispositions to Affiliates of the Borrower that have on terms and under
documentation satisfactory to the Agent become guarantors of the
Borrower’s obligations under this
Agreement,
|
(iii) | investments pursuant to cash management and money pool arrangements among the Borrower and its Affiliates (consistent with past practices and subject to compliance with record-keeping arrangements sufficient to allow at any time the identification of cash to the owners thereof at such time (it being understood that compliance with FERC or other applicable regulatory requirements to such effect shall be deemed sufficient)), |
|
(iv)
|
loans
by the Borrower to subsidiaries (other than Subsidiaries) of the Borrower
in an aggregate amount outstanding, together with any amounts outstanding
pursuant to clause (v) below and the principal amount
outstanding of promissory notes issued pursuant to clause (vii)
below, at any time not to exceed
$1,000,000,000,
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|
(v)
|
equity
investments by the Borrower in Affiliates (other than Subsidiaries) of the
Borrower in an aggregate amount outstanding (net of return of capital (but
not return on capital) in respect of each such investment and valued at
the time of the making of such investment), together with the principal
amount outstanding under any loans made pursuant to clause (iv) above and
the principal amount outstanding of promissory notes issued pursuant to
clause (vii) below, at any time not to exceed $1,000,000,000 (provided that
the aggregate amount of such investments in Affiliates that are not
subsidiaries shall not exceed
$200,000,000),
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|
(vi)
|
transfers
of assets to Affiliates of the Borrower for fair market value (or, to the
extent obligatory under applicable regulatory requirements, book value)
paid in cash or in the form of tangible assets useful in the business of
the Borrower or the Subsidiary making such
transfer,
|
40
(vii) | transfers of assets to a subsidiary of the Borrower (other than Subsidiaries) for fair market value (or, to the extent obligatory under applicable regulatory requirements, book value) paid in the form of promissory notes of the transferees in an aggregate principal amount outstanding, together with the principal amount of any loans outstanding made pursuant to clause (iv) above and any amounts outstanding pursuant to clause (v) above, at any time not to exceed $1,000,000,000. |
(viii) | disposition by a Subsidiary to a subsidiary of the Borrower (other than a Subsidiary) received by such Subsidiary after the Closing Date from the Borrower, directly or indirectly through another subsidiary of the Borrower, specifically for disposition to such subsidiary, provided that such investment by the Borrower in such subsidiary is otherwise permitted pursuant to the provisions of this Section 6.12.2; |
|
(ix)
|
any
investment by the Borrower or a Subsidiary in, or any other disposition by
the Borrower or a Subsidiary to, a subsidiary of the Borrower, provided that
the aggregate book value of all such investments made and assets disposed
of in reliance on this clause (ix) after the Closing Date by the Borrower
and the Subsidiaries does not exceed $25,000,000,
and
|
|
(x)
|
the
payment of cash dividends by the Borrower or any Subsidiary to holders of
its equity interests.
|
6.13. Liens. The Borrower
will not, nor will it permit any of its Subsidiaries (other than a Project
Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary or an SPC) to, create, incur, or
suffer to exist any Lien in, of or on the Property of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries, except:
6.13.1 Liens, if
any, securing the Loans and other Obligations hereunder.
6.13.2 Liens for
taxes, assessments or governmental charges or levies on its Property if the same
shall not at the time be delinquent or thereafter can be paid without penalty,
or are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and for
which adequate reserves in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles shall
have been set aside on its books.
6.13.3 Liens
imposed by law, such as landlords’, wage earners’, carriers’, warehousemen’s and
mechanics’ liens and other similar liens arising in the ordinary course of
business which secure payment of obligations not more than 60 days past due or
which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which
adequate reserves in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles shall have
been set aside on its books.
41
6.13.4 Liens
arising out of pledges or deposits under worker’s compensation laws,
unemployment insurance, old age pensions, or other social security or retirement
benefits, or similar legislation.
6.13.5 Liens
existing on the date hereof and described in Schedule 2.
6.13.6 Deposits
securing liability to insurance carriers under insurance or self-insurance
arrangements.
6.13.7 Deposits
or accounts to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts or obligations
(other than for borrowed money), vendor and service provider arrangements,
leases, statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and
other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of
business.
6.13.8 Easements,
reservations, rights-of-way, restrictions, survey exceptions and other similar
encumbrances as to real property of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries which
customarily exist on properties of corporations engaged in similar activities
and similarly situated and which do not materially interfere with the conduct of
the business of the Borrower or any such Subsidiary conducted at the property
subject thereto.
6.13.9 Liens
arising out of judgments or awards not exceeding $50,000,000 in the aggregate
for the Borrower and all the Subsidiaries with respect to which appeals are
being diligently pursued, and, pending the determination of such appeals, such
judgments or awards having been effectively stayed.
6.13.10 Liens,
securing obligations constituting neither obligations nor Contingent Obligations
of the Borrower or any Subsidiary nor on account of which the Borrower or any
Subsidiary customarily pays interest, upon real estate upon which the Borrower
or any Subsidiary has a right-of-way, easement, franchise or other servitude or
of which the Borrower or any Subsidiary is the lessee of the whole thereof or
any interest therein, including, but not limited to, for the purpose of locating
transmission and distribution lines and related support structures, pipe lines,
substations, measuring stations, tanks, pumping or delivery equipment or similar
equipment.
6.13.11 Liens
arising by virtue of any statutory, contractual or common law provision relating
to banker’s liens, rights of setoff or similar rights as to deposit accounts or
other funds maintained with a depository institution.
6.13.12 Liens
created pursuant to the Existing UE Indenture securing First Mortgage Bonds;
provided that
the Liens of such Existing UE Indenture shall extend only to the property of
Union Electric (including, to the extent applicable, after acquired property)
that is or would be covered by the Liens of the Existing UE Indenture as in
effect on the date hereof.
42
6.13.13 Liens
created pursuant to the Existing CIPS Indenture securing First Mortgage Bonds;
provided that
the Liens of such Existing CIPS Indenture shall extend only to the property of
CIPS (including, to the extent applicable, after acquired property) that is or
would be covered by the Liens of the Existing CIPS Indenture as in effect on the
date hereof.
6.13.14 Liens
incurred in connection with the Xxxx Creek Project and the Audrain
Project.
6.13.15 Liens
existing on any capital assets of any Subsidiary of the Borrower at the time
such Subsidiary becomes a Subsidiary and not created in contemplation of such
event.
6.13.16 Liens on
any capital assets securing Indebtedness incurred or assumed for the purpose of
financing or refinancing all or any part of the cost of acquiring or
constructing such asset; provided that such
Lien attaches to such asset concurrently with or within eighteen (18) months
after the acquisition or completion of construction thereof.
6.13.17 Liens
existing on any capital assets of any Subsidiary of the Borrower at the time
such Subsidiary is merged with or into the Borrower or merged with or
consolidated into any Subsidiary and not created in contemplation of such
event.
6.13.18 Liens
existing on any assets prior to the acquisition thereof by the Borrower or any
of its Subsidiaries and not created in contemplation thereof; provided that such
Liens do not encumber any other property or assets.
6.13.19 Liens (a)
on the capital stock of CILCO and on the assets of CILCO and any other
Subsidiary of CILCORP existing on the date hereof, and/or (b) created pursuant
to the Existing CILCO Indenture securing First Mortgage Bonds; provided that the
Liens of such Existing CILCO Indenture shall extend only to the property
(including, to the extent applicable, after acquired property) that is or would
be covered by the Liens of the Existing CILCO Indenture as in effect on the date
hereof.
6.13.20 Undetermined
Liens and charges incidental to construction.
6.13.21 Liens on
Property or assets of a Subsidiary in favor of the Borrower or a Subsidiary that
is directly or indirectly wholly owned
by the
Borrower.
6.13.22 Liens
(a) on the assets of IP and any Subsidiary of IP existing on the date
hereof and/or (b) created pursuant to the Existing IP Indenture securing
First Mortgage Bonds; provided that the
Liens of such Existing IP Indenture shall extend only to the property
(including, to the extent applicable,
43
after
acquired property) that is or would be covered by the Liens of the Existing IP
Indenture as in effect on the date hereof.
6.13.23 Liens
arising in connection with sales or transfers of, or financings secured by,
Receivables, including Liens granted by an SPC to secure Indebtedness arising
under a Permitted Securitization.
6.13.24 Liens
arising out of the refinancing, extension, renewal or refunding of any
Indebtedness secured by any Lien permitted by any of Section 6.13.12 through
6.13.23 or Section 6.13.25; provided that (a)
such Indebtedness is not secured by any additional assets, and (b) the amount of
such Indebtedness secured by any such Lien is not increased.
6.13.25 Any Liens
existing on any assets of IP or any of its Subsidiaries or related trusts
related to the Illinois Power Special Purpose Trust Transitional Funding Trust
Notes, Series 1998-1.
6.13.26 Liens not
described in Sections 6.13.1 through 6.13.25, inclusive, securing Indebtedness
or other liabilities or obligations of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries in an
aggregate principal amount outstanding for all such Liens not to exceed 10% of
the Consolidated Tangible Assets of the Borrower at the time of the incurrence
of any such Lien.
6.14. Affiliates. The
Borrower will not, and will not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, enter into
any transaction (including without limitation, the purchase or sale of any
Property or service) with, or make any payment or transfer to, any Affiliate
(other than the Borrower and its Subsidiaries) except in the ordinary course of
business and pursuant to the reasonable requirements of the Borrower’s or such
Subsidiary’s business and, except to the extent that the terms and consideration
of any such transaction are mandated, limited or otherwise subject to conditions
imposed by any regulatory or government body, upon fair and reasonable terms no
less favorable to the Borrower or such Subsidiary than the Borrower or such
Subsidiary would obtain in a comparable arm’s-length transaction; provided,
however, that this Section 6.14 shall not prohibit or restrict (i) transactions
that provide for the purchase or sale of Property or services at cost that are
entered into with any services company that is a subsidiary of the Borrower,
(ii) investments pursuant to cash management and money pool arrangements among
the Borrower and its subsidiaries (consistent with past practices and subject to
compliance with record-keeping arrangements sufficient to allow at any time the
identification of cash to owners thereof at such time (it being understood that
compliance with FERC or other applicable regulatory requirements to such effect
shall be deemed sufficient)), (iii) customary sale and servicing transactions
with an SPC pursuant to, and in accordance with the terms of, a Permitted
Securitization, and (iv) the payment of cash dividends pursuant to Section
6.11.4.
6.15. Financial
Contracts. The Borrower will not, nor will it permit any of
its Subsidiaries, to, enter into or remain liable upon any Rate Management
Transactions except for those entered into in the ordinary course of business
for bona fide hedging purposes and not for speculative purposes.
44
6.16. Subsidiary
Covenants. The Borrower will not, and will not permit any of
its Subsidiaries other than a Project Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material
Subsidiary or SPC to, create or otherwise cause to become effective any
consensual encumbrance or restriction of any kind on the ability of any such
Subsidiary other than a Project Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary or
an SPC (i) to pay dividends or make any other distribution on its common stock,
(ii) to pay any Indebtedness or other obligation owed to the Borrower or any
other Subsidiary of the Borrower, or (iii) to make loans or advances or other
Investments in the Borrower or any other Subsidiary of the Borrower, in each
case, other than (a) restrictions and conditions imposed by law or by this
Agreement, (b) restrictions and conditions existing on the date hereof, in each
case as identified on Schedule 3 (without giving effect to any amendment or
modification expanding the scope of any such restriction or condition), (c)
restrictions on dividends on the capital stock of Union Electric entered into in
connection with future issuances of subordinated capital income securities, to
the extent the same are not more restrictive than those benefiting the holders
of Union Electric’s existing 7.69% Subordinated Capital Income Securities, (d)
restrictions and conditions in agreements or arrangements entered into by (1)
Electric Energy, Inc. regarding the payment of dividends or the making of other
distributions with respect to shares of its capital stock or (2) Gateway Energy
WGK Project, L.L.C., in each case, without giving effect to any amendment or
modification expanding the scope of any such restriction or condition, (e)
customary restrictions and conditions relating to an SPC contained in agreements
governing a Permitted Securitization, and (f) customary restrictions and
conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of a Subsidiary pending
such sale, provided that such restrictions and conditions apply only to the
Subsidiary that is to be sold and such sale is permitted hereunder.
6.17. Leverage
Ratio. The Borrower will not permit the ratio of (i) its
Consolidated Indebtedness to (ii) its Consolidated Total Capitalization to be
greater than (a) 0.65 to 1.00 at any time; provided that Consolidated
Indebtedness, solely as such term is used in, and solely for the purpose of,
clause (i) of this Section 6.17, shall not include (a) with respect to
Indebtedness of Genco, subordinated indebtedness under the Existing Intercompany
Note, (b) Hybrid Securities and (c) subordinated indebtedness which, by it
terms, is subordinated to the Obligations on terms not less favorable to the
Lenders than those set forth in Exhibit G (it being understood that any such
subordinated indebtedness will be expressly subordinated to all
Obligations).
ARTICLE
VII
DEFAULTS
The
occurrence of any one or more of the following events shall constitute a
Default:
7.1.
Any representation or warranty made or deemed made by or on behalf of the
Borrower (including any representation or warranty deemed made by the Borrower
as to one of its Subsidiaries) to the Lenders or the Agent under or in
connection with this Agreement, any Loan, or any certificate or information
delivered in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall be
false in any material respect on the date as of which made or deemed
made.
45
7.2.
The Borrower shall fail to pay (i) principal of any Loan when due, or (ii)
interest upon any Loan or other Obligations under any of the Loan Documents
within five (5) Business Days after such interest, fee or other Obligation
becomes due.
7.3.
The breach by the Borrower of any of the terms or provisions of Section 6.2,
6.3, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.13, 6.14, 6.15, 6.16 or 6.17.
7.4. The
breach by the Borrower (other than a breach which constitutes a Default under
another Section of this Article VII) of any of the terms or provisions of this
Agreement which is not remedied within fifteen (15) days after the earlier to
occur of (i) written notice from the Agent or any Lender to the Borrower or (ii)
an Authorized Officer otherwise becoming aware of any such breach.
7.5. (a) The
occurrence of a “Default” under the Existing Credit Agreement or (b) failure of
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Project Finance Subsidiaries
or Non-Material Subsidiaries or an SPC), to pay when due any Material
Indebtedness; or the default by the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other
than Project Finance Subsidiaries or Non-Material Subsidiaries or an SPC) in the
performance (beyond the applicable grace period with respect thereto, if any) of
any term, provision or condition contained in any Material Indebtedness
Agreement or any other event shall occur or condition exist, the effect of which
default, event or condition is to cause, or to permit the holder(s) of such
Material Indebtedness or the lender(s) under any Material Indebtedness Agreement
to cause, such Material Indebtedness to become due prior to its stated maturity
or any commitment to lend under any Material Indebtedness Agreement to be
terminated prior to its stated expiration date; or any Material Indebtedness of
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Project Finance Subsidiaries
or Non-Material Subsidiaries or an SPC), shall be declared to be due and payable
or required to be prepaid or repurchased (other than by a regularly scheduled
payment) prior to the stated maturity thereof; or the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries (other than Project Finance Subsidiaries or Non-Material
Subsidiaries or an SPC), shall not pay, or admit in writing its inability to
pay, its debts generally as they become due; provided that no
Default shall occur under this Section 7.5 as a result of (i) any notice of
voluntary prepayment delivered by the Borrower or any Subsidiary with respect to
any Indebtedness, or (ii) any voluntary sale of assets by the Borrower or any
Subsidiary permitted hereunder as a result of which any Indebtedness secured by
such assets is required to be prepaid.
7.6. The
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Project Finance Subsidiaries or
Non-Material Subsidiaries or an SPC) shall (i) have an order for relief entered
with respect to it under the Federal bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in
effect, (ii) make an assignment for the benefit of creditors, (iii) apply for,
seek, consent to, or acquiesce in, the appointment of a receiver, custodian,
trustee, examiner, liquidator or similar official for it or any Substantial
Portion of its Property, (iv) institute any proceeding seeking an order for
relief under the Federal bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in effect or
seeking to adjudicate it a bankrupt or insolvent, or seeking dissolution,
winding up, liquidation, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition
of it or its debts under any law relating to bankruptcy, insolvency or
reorganization or relief of debtors or fail to file an answer or other pleading
denying the material allegations of any such proceeding filed against it, (v)
take any corporate or partnership action to authorize or effect any of the
foregoing actions set forth in this Section 7.6, (vi) fail to contest in good
faith
46
any
appointment or proceeding described in Section 7.7, or (vii) become unable,
admit in writing its inability or fail generally to pay its debts as they become
due.
7.7.
Without the application, approval or consent of the Borrower or any of its
Subsidiaries (other than a Project Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary
or an SPC ), a receiver, trustee, examiner, liquidator or similar official shall
be appointed for the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than a Project
Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary or an SPC) or any Substantial
Portion of its Property or the Property of any of its Subsidiaries (other than a
Project Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary or an SPC), or a
proceeding seeking an order for relief under the Federal bankruptcy laws as now
or hereafter in effect or seeking to adjudicate it a bankrupt or insolvent, or
seeking dissolution, winding up, liquidation, reorganization, arrangement,
adjustment or composition of it or its debts under any law relating to
bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization or relief of debtors shall be
instituted against the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than a Project
Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary or an SPC) and such appointment
shall continue undischarged or such proceeding continues undismissed or unstayed
for a period of 60 consecutive days.
7.8. Any
court, government or governmental agency shall condemn, seize or otherwise
appropriate, or take custody or control of, all or any portion of the Property
of the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Project Finance
Subsidiaries or Non-Material Subsidiaries or an SPC), which, when taken together
with all other Property of the Borrower and/or any such Subsidiaries so
condemned, seized, appropriated, or taken custody or control of, during the
twelve-month period ending with the month in which any such action occurs,
constitutes a Substantial Portion.
7.9. The
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Project Finance Subsidiaries or
Non-Material Subsidiaries or an SPC) shall fail within 45 days to pay, bond or
otherwise discharge one or more (i) judgments or orders for the payment of money
in excess of $25,000,000 (or the equivalent thereof in currencies other than
Dollars) in the aggregate (net of any amount covered by insurance), or (ii)
nonmonetary judgments or orders which, individually or in the aggregate, could
reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, which judgment(s), in
any such case, is/are not stayed on appeal or otherwise being appropriately
contested in good faith.
7.10.
An ERISA Event shall have occurred that, in the opinion of the Required Lenders,
when taken together with all other ERISA Events that have occurred, could
reasonably be expected to result in liability of the Borrower, its Subsidiaries
or any Commonly Controlled Entity in an aggregate amount exceeding
$25,000,000.
7.11.
Nonpayment when due (after giving effect to any applicable grace period) by the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than Project Finance Subsidiaries or
Non-Material Subsidiaries or an SPC) of obligations or settlement amounts under
Rate Management Transactions in an aggregate amount of $10,000,000 or more, or
the breach (beyond any grace period applicable thereto) by the Borrower or any
of its Subsidiaries (other than Project Finance Subsidiaries or Non-Material
Subsidiaries or an SPC) of any term, provision or condition contained in any
Rate Management Transaction the effect of which is to cause, or to permit the
counterparty(ies) thereof to cause, the termination of such Rate Management
Transaction
47
resulting
in liability of the Borrower or such Subsidiaries for obligations and/or
settlement amounts under such Rate Management Transactions in an aggregate
amount of $10,000,000 or more.
7.12. Any
Change in Control with respect to the Borrower shall occur.
7.13. The
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, shall (i) be the subject of any proceeding
or investigation pertaining to the release by the Borrower (or any of its
Subsidiaries) or any other Person of any toxic or hazardous waste or substance
into the environment, or (ii) violate any Environmental Law; which, in the case
of an event described in clause (i) or clause (ii), has resulted in liability to
the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries in an amount equal to $50,000,000 or
more (in the aggregate for the Borrower and all its Subsidiaries), which
liability is not paid, bonded or otherwise discharged within 45 days or which is
not stayed on appeal and being appropriately contested in good
faith.
7.14. Any
Loan Document shall fail to remain in full force or effect with respect to the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries or any action shall be taken to discontinue
or to assert the invalidity or unenforceability of any Loan Document with
respect to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries.
ARTICLE
VIII
ACCELERATION,
WAIVERS, AMENDMENTS AND REMEDIES
8.1. Acceleration. If
any Default described in Section 7.6 or 7.7 occurs with respect to the Borrower
or any of its Subsidiaries (other than any Project Finance Subsidiary or
Non-Material Subsidiary or SPC), the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans
hereunder to the Borrower shall automatically terminate and the Obligations of
the Borrower shall immediately become due and payable without any election or
action on the part of the Agent or any Lender. If any other Default
occurs with respect to the Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (other than any
Project Finance Subsidiary, Non-Material Subsidiary or SPC to the extent
excluded from such Default by the provisions of Article VII), the Required
Lenders (or the Agent with the consent of the Required Lenders) may terminate or
suspend the obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder to the Borrower,
or declare the Obligations to be due and payable, or both, whereupon the
Obligations shall become immediately due and payable, without presentment,
demand, protest or notice of any kind, all of which the Borrower hereby
expressly waives.
If, after
acceleration of the maturity of the Obligations or termination of the
obligations of the Lenders to make Loans hereunder as a result of any Default
(other than any Default as described in Section 7.6 or 7.7 with respect to the
Borrower) and before any judgment or decree for the payment of the Obligations
due shall have been obtained or entered, the Required Lenders (in their sole
discretion) shall so direct, the Agent shall, by notice to the Borrower, rescind
and annul such acceleration and/or termination.
8.2. Amendments. Subject
to the provisions of this Section 8.2, the Required Lenders (or the Agent with
the consent in writing of the Required Lenders) and the Borrower may enter into
agreements supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding or modifying any
provisions to the
48
Loan
Documents or changing in any manner the rights of the Lenders or the Borrower
hereunder or thereunder or waiving any Default hereunder or thereunder; provided, however, that no such
supplemental agreement shall, without the consent of all of the Lenders (or, in
the case of Section 8.2.2, all affected Lenders):
8.2.1 Extend
the final maturity of any Loan or postpone any payment of principal of any Loan
or forgive all or any portion of the principal amount thereof, or reduce the
rate or extend the time of payment of interest or fees thereon (other than a
waiver of the application of the default rate of interest pursuant to Section
2.14 hereof).
8.2.2 [omitted].
8.2.3 Reduce
the percentage specified in the definition of Required Lenders or any other
percentage of Lenders specified to be the Pro Rata Share in this Agreement to
act on specified matters or amend the definition of “Pro Rata
Share”.
8.2.4 Extend
the Maturity Date, or reduce the amount or extend the payment date for, the
mandatory payments required under Section 2.10(b), or increase the amount of the
Commitment of any Lender hereunder, or permit the Borrower to assign its rights
or obligations under this Agreement or change Section 2.15 or 2.8 in a manner
that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments or the application of
reductions of commitments on a ratable basis required thereby.
8.2.5 Amend
this Section 8.2.
No
amendment of any provision of this Agreement relating to the Agent shall be
effective without the written consent of the Agent. The Agent may
waive payment of the fee required under Section 12.3.3 without obtaining the
consent of any other party to this Agreement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any provision of this Agreement may be amended by an agreement in
writing entered into by the Borrower, the Required Lenders and the Agent if (i)
by the terms of such agreement any remaining Commitment of each Lender not
consenting to the amendment provided for therein shall terminate upon the
effectiveness of such amendment and (ii) at the time such amendment becomes
effective, each Lender not consenting thereto receives payment in full of the
principal of and interest accrued on each Advance made by it and all other
amounts owing to it or accrued for its account under this
Agreement.
8.3. Preservation of
Rights. No delay or omission of the Lenders or the Agent to
exercise any right under the Loan Documents shall impair such right or be
construed to be a waiver of any Default or an acquiescence therein, and the
making of a Loan notwithstanding the existence of a Default or Unmatured Default
or the inability of the Borrower to satisfy the conditions precedent to such
Loan shall not constitute any waiver or acquiescence. Any single or
partial exercise of any such right shall not preclude any other or further
exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, and no waiver, amendment or
other variation of the terms, conditions or provisions of the Loan Documents
whatsoever shall be valid unless in writing signed by, or by
49
the Agent
with the consent of, the requisite number of Lenders required pursuant to
Section 8.2, and then only to the extent in such writing specifically set
forth. All remedies contained in the Loan Documents or by law
afforded shall be cumulative and all shall be available to the Agent and the
Lenders until all of the Obligations have been paid in full.
ARTICLE
IX
GENERAL
PROVISIONS
9.1. Survival of
Representations. All representations and warranties of the
Borrower contained in this Agreement shall survive the making of the Loans
herein contemplated.
9.2. Governmental
Regulation. Anything contained in this Agreement to the
contrary notwithstanding, no Lender shall be obligated to extend credit to the
Borrower in violation of any limitation or prohibition provided by any
applicable statute or regulation.
9.3. Headings. Section
headings in the Loan Documents are for convenience of reference only, and shall
not govern the interpretation of any of the provisions of the Loan
Documents.
9.4. Entire
Agreement. The Loan Documents embody the entire agreement and
understanding among the Agent and the Lenders, and between the Agent and the
Lenders on one hand, and the Borrower on the other hand, and supersede all prior
agreements and understandings among and between such parties, as the case may
be, relating to the subject matter thereof other than those contained in the fee
letter described in Section 10.13 which shall survive and remain in full force
and effect during the term of this Agreement.
9.5. Several Obligations;
Benefits of this Agreement. The respective obligations of the
Lenders hereunder are several and not joint and no Lender shall be the partner
or agent of any other (except to the extent to which the Agent is authorized to
act as such). The failure of any Lender to perform any of its
obligations hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender from any of its
obligations hereunder. This Agreement shall not be construed so as to
confer any right or benefit upon any Person other than the parties to this
Agreement and their respective successors and assigns, provided, however, that the parties hereto
expressly agree that the Arranger shall enjoy the benefits of the provisions of
Sections 9.6, 9.10 and 10.11 to the extent specifically set forth therein and
shall have the right to enforce such provisions on its own behalf and in its own
name to the same extent as if it were a party to this Agreement.
9.6. Expenses;
Indemnification.
(i)
|
The
Borrower shall reimburse the Agent and the Arranger for any reasonable
costs, internal charges and out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable
attorneys’ and paralegals’ fees and time charges of attorneys for the
Agent, which attorneys may be employees of the Agent, and expenses of and
fees for other advisors and professionals engaged by the Agent or the
Arranger) paid or incurred by the Agent or the Arranger in connection with
the investigation, preparation, negotiation, documentation, execution,
delivery, syndication, distribution (including, without limitation, via
the internet), review, amendment, modification
|
50
and administration of the Loan Documents. The Borrower
also agrees to reimburse the Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders for any costs,
internal charges and out-of-pocket expenses (including attorneys’ and
paralegals’ fees and time charges and expenses of attorneys and paralegals for
the Agent, the Arranger and the Lenders, which attorneys and paralegals may be
employees of the Agent, the Arranger or the Lenders) paid or incurred by the
Agent, the Arranger or any Lender in connection with the collection of the
Obligations and enforcement of the Loan Documents.
(ii)
|
The
Borrower hereby further agrees to indemnify the Agent, the Arranger, each
Lender, their respective affiliates, and each of their directors, officers
and employees against all losses, claims, damages, penalties, judgments,
liabilities and expenses (including, without limitation, all expenses of
litigation or preparation therefor whether or not the Agent, the Arranger,
any Lender or any affiliate is a party thereto, and all attorneys’ and
paralegals’ fees, time charges and expenses of attorneys and paralegals of
the party seeking indemnification, which attorneys and paralegals may or
may not be employees of such party seeking indemnification) which any of
them may pay or incur arising out of or relating to this Agreement, the
other Loan Documents, the transactions contemplated hereby or the direct
or indirect application or proposed application of the proceeds of any
Loan hereunder except to the extent that they have resulted, as determined
in a final non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction,
from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party seeking
indemnification.
|
(iii)
|
[omitted].
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(iv)
|
To
the extent that the Borrower fails to pay any amount required to be paid
by it to the Agent or the Arranger under paragraph (i) or (ii) of this
Section, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Agent or the Arranger,
as the case may be, such Lender’s Pro Rata Share (determined as of the
time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is
sought) of such unpaid amount; provided that
the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or
related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against
the Agent or the Arranger in its capacity as
such.
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(v)
|
The
obligations of the Borrower under this Section 9.6 shall survive the
termination of this Agreement and the Maturity
Date.
|
9.7. Numbers of
Documents. All statements, notices, closing documents, and
requests hereunder shall be furnished to the Agent with sufficient counterparts
so that the Agent may furnish one to each of the Lenders, to the extent that the
Agent deems necessary.
9.8. Accounting. Except
as provided to the contrary herein, all accounting terms used in the calculation
of any financial covenant or test shall be interpreted and all accounting
determinations hereunder in the calculation of any financial covenant or test
shall be made in accordance with Agreement Accounting Principles. If
any changes in generally accepted accounting principles are hereafter required
or permitted and are adopted by the Borrower or any
51
of its
Subsidiaries with the agreement of its independent certified public accountants
and such changes result in a change in the method of calculation of any of the
financial covenants, tests, restrictions or standards herein or in the related
definitions or terms used therein (“Accounting Changes”), the parties hereto
agree, at the Borrower’s request, to enter into negotiations, in good faith, in
order to amend such provisions in a credit neutral manner so as to reflect
equitably such changes with the desired result that the criteria for evaluating
the Borrower’s and its Subsidiaries’ financial condition shall be the same after
such changes as if such changes had not been made; provided, however, until such provisions are
amended in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Agent and the Required
Lenders, no Accounting Change shall be given effect in such
calculations. In the event such amendment is entered into, all
references in this Agreement to Agreement Accounting Principles shall mean
generally accepted accounting principles as of the date of such
amendment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all financial statements to
be delivered by the Borrower pursuant to Section 6.1 shall be prepared in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in effect at such
time.
9.9. Severability of
Provisions. Any provision in any Loan Document that is held to
be inoperative, unenforceable or invalid in any jurisdiction shall, as to that
jurisdiction, be inoperative, unenforceable or invalid without affecting the
remaining provisions in that jurisdiction or the operation, enforceability or
validity of that provision in any other jurisdiction, and to this end the
provisions of all Loan Documents are declared to be severable.
9.10. Nonliability. The
relationship between the Borrower on the one hand and the Lenders and the Agent
on the other hand shall be solely that of borrower and lender. None
of the Agent, the Arranger or any Lender shall have any fiduciary
responsibilities to the Borrower. None of the Agent, the Arranger or
any Lender undertakes any responsibility to the Borrower to review or inform the
Borrower of any matter in connection with any phase of the Borrower’s businesses
or operations. The Borrower agrees that none of the Agent, the
Arranger or any Lender shall have liability to the Borrower (whether sounding in
tort, contract or otherwise) for losses suffered by the Borrower in connection
with, arising out of, or in any way related to, the transactions contemplated
and the relationship established by the Loan Documents, or any act, omission or
event occurring in connection therewith, unless it is determined in a final
non-appealable judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction that such losses
resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the party from which
recovery is sought. None of the Borrower, the Agent, the Arranger or
any Lender shall have any liability with respect to, and each of the Agent, the
Arranger, each Lender and the Borrower hereby waives, releases and agrees not to
xxx for, any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages suffered by it
in connection with, arising out of, or in any way related to the Loan Documents
or the transactions contemplated thereby.
9.11. Confidentiality. Each
of the Agent and the Lenders agrees to hold any confidential information which
it may receive from the Borrower pursuant to this Agreement in confidence,
except for disclosure (i) to its Affiliates and to other Lenders and their
respective Affiliates, for use solely in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby, (ii) to legal counsel, accountants, and other professional
advisors to such Agent or Lender or to a Transferee, in each case which have
been informed as to the confidential nature of such information, for use solely
in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, (iii) to regulatory
officials having jurisdiction over it or its Affiliates, (iv) to any Person as
required by law, regulation, or
52
legal
process, (v) to any Person in connection with any legal proceeding to which such
Lender is a party, (vi) to such Lender’s direct or indirect contractual
counterparties in swap agreements or to legal counsel, accountants and other
professional advisors to such counterparties, in each case which have been
informed as to the confidential nature of such information, (vii) as permitted
by Section 12.4 and (viii) to rating agencies if requested or required by such
agencies in connection with a rating relating to this Agreement or the Advances
hereunder.
9.12. Lenders Not Utilizing Plan
Assets. Each Lender and Designated Lender represents and
warrants that none of the consideration used by such Lender or Designated Lender
to make its Loans constitutes for any purpose of ERISA or Section 4975 of the
Code assets of any “plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA or Section 4975 of
the Code and the rights and interests of such Lender or Designated Lender in and
under the Loan Documents shall not constitute such “plan assets” under
ERISA.
9.13. Nonreliance. Each
Lender hereby represents that it is not relying on or looking to any margin
stock (as defined in Regulation U) as collateral in the extension or maintenance
of the credit provided for herein.
9.14. Disclosure. The
Borrower and each Lender hereby acknowledge and agree that each Lender and its
Affiliates from time to time may hold investments in, make other loans to or
have other relationships with the Borrower and its Affiliates.
9.15. USA Patriot
Act. Each Lender hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to
the requirements of the USA Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and
record information that identifies the Borrower, which information includes the
name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such
Lender to identify the Borrower in accordance with its
requirements. The Borrower shall promptly following a request by the
Agent or any Lender, provide all documentation and other information that the
Agent or such Lender reasonably requests in order to comply with its ongoing
obligations under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering
rules and regulations including the USA Patriot Act.
ARTICLE
X
THE
AGENT
10.1. Appointment; Nature of
Relationship. JPMCB is hereby appointed by each of the Lenders
as its contractual representative (herein referred to as the “Agent”) hereunder
and under each other Loan Document, and each of the Lenders irrevocably
authorizes the Agent to act as the contractual representative of such Lender
with the rights and duties expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan
Documents. The Agent agrees to act as such contractual representative
upon the express conditions contained in this Article
X. Notwithstanding the use of the defined term “Agent,” it is
expressly understood and agreed that the Agent shall not have any fiduciary
responsibilities to any Lender by reason of this Agreement or any other Loan
Document and that the Agent is merely acting as the contractual representative
of the Lenders with only those duties as are expressly set forth in this
Agreement and the other Loan Documents. In its capacity as the
Lenders’ contractual representative, the Agent (i) does not hereby assume any
fiduciary duties to any of the Lenders, (ii) is a “representative” of the
Lenders within the meaning of the term
53
“secured
party” as defined in the New York Uniform Commercial Code and (iii) is acting as
an independent contractor, the rights and duties of which are limited to those
expressly set forth in this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents. Each of the Lenders hereby agrees to assert no claim
against the Agent on any agency theory or any other theory of liability for
breach of fiduciary duty, all of which claims each Lender hereby
waives.
10.2. Powers. The
Agent shall have and may exercise such powers under the Loan Documents as are
specifically delegated to the Agent by the terms of each thereof, together with
such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The Agent shall
have no implied duties or fiduciary duties to the Lenders, or any obligation to
the Lenders to take any action thereunder except any action specifically
provided by the Loan Documents to be taken by the Agent.
10.3. General
Immunity. Neither the Agent nor any of its directors,
officers, agents or employees shall be liable to the Borrower, the Lenders or
any Lender for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it or them hereunder
or under any other Loan Document or in connection herewith or therewith except
to the extent such action or inaction is determined in a final, non-appealable
judgment by a court of competent jurisdiction to have arisen from the gross
negligence or willful misconduct of such Person.
10.4. No Responsibility for Loans,
Recitals, etc. Neither the Agent nor any of its directors,
officers, agents or employees shall be responsible for or have any duty to
ascertain, inquire into, or verify (a) any statement, warranty or representation
made in connection with any Loan Document or any borrowing hereunder; (b) the
performance or observance of any of the covenants or agreements of any obligor
under any Loan Document, including, without limitation, any agreement by an
obligor to furnish information directly to each Lender; (c) the satisfaction of
any condition specified in Article IV, except receipt of items required to be
delivered solely to the Agent; (d) the existence or possible existence of any
Default or Unmatured Default; (e) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness,
sufficiency or genuineness of any Loan Document or any other instrument or
writing furnished in connection therewith; (f) the value, sufficiency, creation,
perfection or priority of any Lien in any collateral security; or (g) the
financial condition of the Borrower or any guarantor of any of the Obligations
or of any of the Borrower’s or any such guarantor’s respective
Subsidiaries. The Agent shall have no duty to disclose to the Lenders
information that is not required to be furnished by the Borrower to the Agent at
such time, but is voluntarily furnished by the Borrower to the Agent (either in
its capacity as Agent or in its individual capacity).
10.5. Action on Instructions of
Lenders. The Agent shall in all cases be fully protected in
acting, or in refraining from acting, hereunder and under any other Loan
Document in accordance with written instructions signed by the Required Lenders
(or all of the Lenders in the event that and to the extent that this Agreement
expressly requires such), and such instructions and any action taken or failure
to act pursuant thereto shall be binding on all of the Lenders. The
Lenders hereby acknowledge that the Agent shall be under no duty to take any
discretionary action permitted to be taken by it pursuant to the provisions of
this Agreement or any other Loan Document unless it shall be requested in
writing to do so by the Required Lenders (or all of the Lenders in the event
that and to the extent that this Agreement expressly requires
such). The Agent shall be fully justified in failing or refusing to
take any action hereunder and under any other Loan Document unless it shall
first be indemnified to its satisfaction in writing by the
54
Lenders
pro rata against any and all liability, cost and expense that it may incur by
reason of taking or continuing to take any such action.
10.6. Employment of Agents and
Counsel. The Agent may execute any of its duties as Agent
hereunder and under any other Loan Document by or through employees, agents, and
attorneys-in-fact and shall not be answerable to the Lenders, except as to money
or securities received by it or its authorized agents, for the default or
misconduct of any such agents or attorneys-in-fact selected by it with
reasonable care. The Agent shall be entitled to advice of counsel
concerning the contractual arrangement between the Agent and the Lenders and all
matters pertaining to the Agent’s duties hereunder and under any other Loan
Document.
10.7. Reliance on Documents;
Counsel. The Agent shall be entitled to rely upon any Note,
notice, consent, certificate, affidavit, letter, telegram, statement, paper or
document believed by it to be genuine and correct and to have been signed or
sent by the proper person or persons, and, in respect to legal matters, upon the
opinion of counsel selected by the Agent, which counsel may be employees of the
Agent.
10.8. Agent’s Reimbursement and
Indemnification. The Lenders agree to reimburse and indemnify
the Agent ratably in proportion to the their Pro Rata Shares (determined as of
the date of any such request by the Agent) (i) for any amounts not reimbursed by
the Borrower for which the Agent is entitled to reimbursement by the Borrower
under the Loan Documents, (ii) to the extent not paid by the Borrower, for any
other expenses incurred by the Agent on behalf of the Lenders, in connection
with the preparation, execution, delivery, administration and enforcement of the
Loan Documents (including, without limitation, for any expenses incurred by the
Agent in connection with any dispute between the Agent and any Lender or between
two or more of the Lenders) and (iii) to the extent not paid by the Borrower,
for any liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions,
judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements of any kind and nature
whatsoever which may be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against the Agent in
any way relating to or arising out of the Loan Documents or any other document
delivered in connection therewith or the transactions contemplated thereby
(including, without limitation, for any such amounts incurred by or asserted
against the Agent in connection with any dispute between the Agent and any
Lender or between two or more of the Lenders), or the enforcement of any of the
terms of the Loan Documents or of any such other documents, provided that (i) no
Lender shall be liable for any of the foregoing to the extent any of the
foregoing is found in a final, non-appealable judgment by a court of competent
jurisdiction to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of
the Agent, (ii) any indemnification required pursuant to Section 3.5(vii) shall,
notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 10.8, be paid by the relevant
Lender in accordance with the provisions thereof and (iii) the Agent shall
reimburse the Lenders for any amounts the Lenders have paid to the extent such
amounts are subsequently recovered from the Borrower. The obligations
of the Lenders under this Section 10.8 shall survive payment of the Obligations
and termination of this Agreement.
10.9. Notice of
Default. The Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or
notice of the occurrence of any Default or Unmatured Default hereunder unless
the Agent has received written notice from a Lender or the Borrower referring to
this Agreement describing such Default or Unmatured Default and stating that
such notice is a “notice of default”. In the event
55
that the
Agent receives such a notice, the Agent shall give prompt notice thereof to the
Borrower and the Lenders.
10.10. Rights as a
Lender. In the event the Agent is a Lender, the Agent shall
have the same rights and powers hereunder and under any other Loan Document with
respect to its Commitment and its Loans as any Lender and may exercise the same
as though it were not the Agent, and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, at
any time when the Agent is a Lender, unless the context otherwise indicates,
include the Agent in its individual capacity. The Agent and its
Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, and generally engage in any
kind of trust, debt, equity or other transaction, in addition to those
contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document, with the Borrower or
any of its Subsidiaries in which the Borrower or such Subsidiary is not
restricted hereby from engaging with any other Person. The Agent, in
its individual capacity, is not obligated to remain a Lender.
10.11. Independent Credit
Decision. Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently
and without reliance upon the Agent, the Arranger or any other Lender and based
on the financial statements prepared by the Borrower and such other documents
and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and
decision to enter into this Agreement and the other Loan
Documents. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently
and without reliance upon the Agent, the Arranger or any other Lender and based
on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time,
continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under
this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
10.12. Successor
Agent. The Agent may resign at any time by giving written
notice thereof to the Lenders and the Borrower, such resignation to be effective
upon the appointment of a successor Agent or, if no successor Agent has been
appointed, forty-five days after the retiring Agent gives notice of its
intention to resign. The Agent may be removed at any time with or
without cause by written notice received by the Agent from the Required Lenders,
such removal to be effective on the date specified by the Required
Lenders. Upon any such resignation or removal, the Required Lenders,
with the consent of the Borrower (which consent shall not be unreasonably
withheld or delayed; provided that such
consent shall not be required in the event and continuation of a Default), shall
have the right to appoint, on behalf of the Borrower and the Lenders, a
successor Agent. If no successor Agent shall have been so appointed
by the Required Lenders or consented to by the Borrower within thirty days after
the resigning Agent’s giving notice of its intention to resign, then the
resigning Agent may appoint, on behalf of the Borrower and the Lenders, a
successor Agent. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, the Agent may
at any time without the consent of the Borrower or any Lender, appoint any of
its Affiliates which is a commercial bank as a successor Agent
hereunder. If the Agent has resigned or been removed and no successor
Agent has been appointed, the Lenders may perform all the duties of the Agent
hereunder and the Borrower shall make all payments in respect of the Obligations
to the applicable Lenders and for all other purposes shall deal directly with
the Lenders. No successor Agent shall be deemed to be appointed
hereunder until such successor Agent has accepted the
appointment. Any such successor Agent shall be a commercial bank
having capital and retained earnings of at least $100,000,000. Upon
the acceptance of any appointment as Agent hereunder by a successor Agent, such
successor Agent shall thereupon succeed to and become vested with all the
rights, powers, privileges and duties of the resigning or removed
Agent. Upon the effectiveness of the resignation or removal of the
Agent, the resigning
56
or
removed Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and
under the Loan Documents. After the effectiveness of the resignation
or removal of an Agent, the provisions of this Article X shall continue in
effect for the benefit of such Agent in respect of any actions taken or omitted
to be taken by it while it was acting as the Agent hereunder and under the other
Loan Documents. In the event that there is a successor to the Agent
by merger, or the Agent assigns its duties and obligations to an Affiliate
pursuant to this Section 10.12, then the term “Prime Rate” as used in this
Agreement shall mean the prime rate, base rate or other analogous rate of the
new Agent.
10.13. Agent and Arranger
Fees. The Borrower agrees to pay to the Agent and the
Arranger, for their respective accounts, the agent and arranger fees agreed to
by the Borrower, the Agent and the Arranger pursuant to the letter agreements
dated June 5, 2008, or as otherwise agreed from time to time.
10.14. Delegation to
Affiliates. The Borrower and the Lenders agree that the Agent
may delegate any of its duties under this Agreement to any of its
Affiliates. Any such Affiliate (and such Affiliate’s directors,
officers, agents and employees) which performs duties in connection with this
Agreement shall be entitled to the same benefits of the indemnification, waiver
and other protective provisions to which the Agent is entitled under Articles IX
and X.
10.15. Syndication Agent and
Documentation Agents. The Lender identified in this Agreement
as the “Syndication Agent” and the Lenders identified in this Agreement as the
“Documentation Agents” shall have no right, power, obligation, liability,
responsibility or duty under this Agreement other than those applicable to all
Lenders as such. Without limiting the foregoing, such Lenders shall
not have or be deemed to have a fiduciary relationship with any other
Lender. Each Lender hereby makes the same acknowledgements with
respect to such Lenders as it makes with respect to the Agent in Section
10.11.
ARTICLE
XI
SETOFF;
RATABLE PAYMENTS
11.1. Setoff. In
addition to, and without limitation of, any rights of the Lenders under
applicable law, if the Borrower becomes insolvent, however evidenced, or any
Default occurs, any and all deposits (including all account balances, whether
provisional or final and whether or not collected or available) and any other
Indebtedness at any time held or owing by any Lender or any Affiliate of any
Lender to or for the credit or account of the Borrower may be offset and applied
toward the payment of the Obligations owing to such Lender, whether or not the
Obligations, or any part thereof, shall then be due.
11.2. Ratable
Payments. If any Lender, whether by setoff or otherwise, has
payment made to it upon its Loans (other than payments received pursuant to
Section 3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.5 or 9.6) in a greater proportion than that received by
any other Lender, such Lender agrees, promptly upon demand, to purchase a
participation in the Loans held by the other Lenders so that after such purchase
each Lender will hold its Pro Rata Share of the Loans. If any Lender,
whether in connection with setoff or amounts which might be subject to setoff or
otherwise, receives
57
collateral
or other protection for its Obligations or such amounts which may be subject to
setoff, such Lender agrees, promptly upon demand, to take such action necessary
such that all Lenders share in the benefits of such collateral ratably in
proportion to their respective Pro Rata Shares of the Loans. In case
any such payment is disturbed by legal process, or otherwise, appropriate
further adjustments shall be made.
ARTICLE
XII
BENEFIT
OF AGREEMENT; ASSIGNMENTS; PARTICIPATIONS
12.1. Successors and Assigns;
Designated Lenders.
12.1.1 Successors and
Assigns. The terms and provisions of the Loan Documents shall
be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Borrower, the Agent and the
Lenders and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except
that (i) the Borrower shall not have the right to assign its rights or
obligations under the Loan Documents without the prior written consent of the
Agent and each Lender, (ii) any assignment by any Lender must be made in
compliance with Section 12.3, and (iii) any transfer by Participants must be
made in compliance with Section 12.2. Any attempted assignment or
transfer by any party not made in compliance with this Section 12.1 shall be
null and void, unless such attempted assignment or transfer is treated as a
participation in accordance with Section 12.3.2. The parties to this
Agreement acknowledge that clause (ii) of this Section 12.1 relates only to
absolute assignments and this Section 12.1 does not prohibit assignments
creating security interests, including, without limitation, (x) any pledge or
assignment by any Lender of all or any portion of its rights under this
Agreement and any Note to a Federal Reserve Bank, (y) in the case of a Lender
which is a Fund, any pledge or assignment of all or any portion of its rights
under this Agreement and any Note to its trustee in support of its obligations
to its trustee or (z) any pledge or assignment by any Lender of all or any
portion of its rights under this Agreement and any Note to direct or indirect
contractual counterparties in swap agreements relating to the Loans; provided, however, that no such pledge or
assignment creating a security interest shall release the transferor Lender from
its obligations hereunder unless and until the parties thereto have complied
with the provisions of Section 12.3. The Agent may treat the Person
which made any Loan or which holds any Note as the owner thereof for all
purposes hereof unless and until such Person complies with Section 12.3; provided, however, that the Agent may in its
discretion (but shall not be required to) follow instructions from the Person
which made any Loan or which holds any Note to direct payments relating to such
Loan or Note to another Person. Any assignee of the rights to any
Loan or any Note agrees by acceptance of such assignment to be bound by all the
terms and provisions of the Loan Documents. Any request, authority or
consent of any Person, who at the time of making such request or giving such
authority or consent is the owner of the rights to any Loan (whether or not a
Note has been
58
issued in
evidence thereof), shall be conclusive and binding on any subsequent holder or
assignee of the rights to such Loan.
12.1.2 Designated
Lenders.
(i)
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Subject
to the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 12.1.2, any Lender
may from time to time elect to designate an Eligible Designee to provide
all or any part of the Loans to be made by such Lender pursuant to this
Agreement; provided that
the designation of an Eligible Designee by any Lender for purposes of this
Section 12.1.2 shall be subject to the approval of the Agent (which
consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed). Upon
the execution by the parties to each such designation of an agreement in
the form of Exhibit F hereto (a “Designation Agreement”) and the
acceptance thereof by the Agent, the Eligible Designee shall become a
Designated Lender for purposes of this Agreement. The
Designating Lender shall thereafter have the right to permit the
Designated Lender to provide all or a portion of the Loans to be made by
the Designating Lender pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the
making of such Loans or portion thereof shall satisfy the obligations of
the Designating Lender to the same extent, and as if, such Loan was made
by the Designating Lender. As to any Loan made by it, each
Designated Lender shall have all the rights a Lender making such Loan
would have under this Agreement and otherwise; provided, (x)
that all voting rights under this Agreement shall be exercised solely by
the Designating Lender, (y) each Designating Lender shall remain solely
responsible to the other parties hereto for its obligations under this
Agreement, including the obligations of a Lender in respect of Loans made
by its Designated Lender and (z) no Designated Lender shall be entitled to
reimbursement under Article III
hereof for any amount which would exceed the amount that would have been
payable by the Borrower to the Lender from which the Designated Lender
obtained any interests hereunder. No additional Notes shall be
required with respect to Loans provided by a Designated Lender; provided, however, to the
extent any Designated Lender shall advance funds, the Designating Lender
shall be deemed to hold the Notes in its possession as an agent for such
Designated Lender to the extent of the Loan funded by such Designated
Lender. Such Designating Lender shall act as administrative
agent for its Designated Lender and give and receive notices and
communications hereunder. Any payments for the account of any
Designated Lender shall be paid to its Designating Lender as
administrative agent for such Designated Lender and neither the Borrower
nor the Agent shall be responsible for any Designating Lender’s
application of such payments. In addition, any Designated
Lender may (1) with notice to, but without the consent of, the Borrower or
the Agent, assign all or portions of its interests in any Loans to its
Designating Lender or to any financial institution consented to by the
Agent providing liquidity and/or credit facilities to or for the account
of such Designated Lender and (2) subject to advising any such Person that
such information is to be treated as confidential in accordance with
Section 9.11, disclose on a confidential basis any non-public information
relating to its Loans to any rating agency, commercial paper dealer or
provider of any guarantee, surety or credit or liquidity enhancement to
such Designated Lender.
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(ii)
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Each
party to this Agreement hereby agrees that it shall not institute against,
or join any other Person in instituting against, any Designated Lender any
bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency or liquidation
proceeding or other proceedings under any federal or state bankruptcy or
similar law for one year and a day after the payment in full of all
outstanding senior indebtedness of any Designated Lender. This
Section 12.1.2 shall survive the termination of this
Agreement.
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12.2. Participations.
12.2.1 Permitted Participants;
Effect. Any Lender may at any time sell to one or more banks
or other entities (“Participants”) participating interests in any Loan of such
Lender, any Note held by such Lender, any Commitment of such Lender or any other
interest of such Lender under the Loan Documents. In the event of any
such sale by a Lender of participating interests to a Participant, such Lender’s
obligations under the Loan Documents shall remain unchanged, such Lender shall
remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of
such obligations, such Lender shall remain the owner of its Loan and the holder
of any Note issued to it in evidence thereof for all purposes under the Loan
Documents, all amounts payable by the Borrower under this Agreement shall be
determined as if such Lender had not sold such participating interests, and the
Borrower and the Agent shall continue to deal solely and directly with such
Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under the Loan
Documents.
12.2.2 Voting
Rights. Each Lender shall retain the sole right to approve,
without the consent of any Participant, any amendment, modification or waiver of
any provision of the Loan Documents other than any amendment, modification or
waiver with respect to any Loan or Commitment in which such Participant has an
interest which would require consent of all of the Lenders pursuant to the terms
of Section 8.2.
12.2.3 Benefit of Certain
Provisions. The Borrower agrees that each Participant shall be
deemed to have the right of setoff provided in Section 11.1 in respect of its
participating interest in amounts owing under the Loan Documents to the same
extent as if the amount of its participating interest were owing directly to it
as a Lender under the Loan Documents, provided that each
Lender shall retain the right of setoff provided in Section 11.1 with respect to
the amount of participating interests sold to each Participant. The
Lenders agree to share with each Participant, and each Participant, by
exercising the right of setoff provided in Section 11.1, agrees to share with
each Lender, any amount received pursuant to the exercise of its right of
setoff, such amounts to be shared in accordance with Section 11.2 as if each
Participant were a Lender. The Borrower further agrees that each
Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 and 3.5
to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by
assignment
60
pursuant
to Section 12.3, provided that (i) a
Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section
3.1, 3.2 or 3.5 than the Lender who sold the participating interest to such
Participant would have received had it retained such interest for its own
account, unless the sale of such interest to such Participant is made with the
prior written consent of the Borrower, and (ii) any Participant not incorporated
under the laws of the United States of America or any State thereof agrees to
comply with the provisions of Section 3.5 to the same extent as if it were a
Lender.
12.3. Assignments.
12.3.1 Permitted
Assignments. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more
banks or other entities (“Purchasers”) all or any part of its rights and
obligations under the Loan Documents. Such assignment shall be
evidenced by an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit C or in such
other form as may be agreed to by the parties thereto (each such agreement, an
“Assignment Agreement”). Each such assignment with respect to a
Purchaser which is not a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund
shall either be in an amount equal to the entire applicable Commitment or Loan
of the assigning Lender or (unless each of the Borrower and the Agent otherwise
consents) be in an aggregate amount not less than $5,000,000. The amount of the
assignment shall be based on the Commitment or the Loan subject to the
assignment, determined as of the date of such assignment or as of the “Trade
Date,” if the “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment
Agreement. Each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of
a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under
this Agreement.
12.3.2 Consents. The
consent of the Borrower shall be required prior to an assignment becoming
effective unless the Purchaser is a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an
Approved Fund, provided that the
consent of the Borrower shall not be required if (i) a Default has occurred and
is continuing or (ii) such assignment is in connection with the physical
settlement of any Lender’s obligations to direct or indirect contractual
counterparties in swap agreements relating to the Loans; provided, that the
assignment without the Borrower’s consent pursuant to clause (ii) shall not
increase the Borrower’s liability under Section 3.5. The consent of
the Agent shall be required prior to an assignment becoming
effective. Any consent required under this Section 12.3.2 shall not
be unreasonably withheld or delayed.
12.3.3 Effect; Effective
Date. Upon (i) delivery to the Agent of an Assignment
Agreement, together with any consents required by Sections 12.3.1 and 12.3.2,
and (ii) payment of a $3,500 fee to the Agent for processing such assignment
(unless such fee is waived by the Agent), such assignment shall become effective
on the effective date specified in such assignment. The Assignment
Agreement shall contain a representation and warranty by the Purchaser to the
effect that none of the funds, money, assets or other consideration used to make
the purchase and assumption of the Commitment
61
and Loan
under the applicable Assignment Agreement constitutes “plan assets” as defined
under ERISA and that the rights, benefits and interests of the Purchaser in and
under the Loan Documents will not be “plan assets” under ERISA. On
and after the effective date of such assignment, such Purchaser shall for all
purposes be a Lender party to this Agreement and any other Loan Document
executed by or on behalf of the Lenders and shall have all the rights, benefits
and obligations of a Lender under the Loan Documents, to the same extent as if
it were an original party thereto, and the transferor Lender shall be released
with respect to the Commitment or Loan assigned to such Purchaser without any
further consent or action by the Borrower, the Lenders or the
Agent. In the case of an assignment covering all of the assigning
Lender’s rights, benefits and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender
shall cease to be a Lender hereunder but shall continue to be entitled to the
benefits of, and subject to, those provisions of this Agreement and the other
Loan Documents which survive payment of the Obligations and termination of the
Loan Documents. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or
obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section 12.3
shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a
participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with Section
12.2. Upon the consummation of any assignment to a Purchaser pursuant
to this Section 12.3.3, the transferor Lender, the Agent and the Borrower shall,
if the transferor Lender or the Purchaser desires that its Loans be evidenced by
Notes, make appropriate arrangements so that, upon cancellation and surrender to
the Borrower of the Notes (if any) held by the transferor Lender, new Notes or,
as appropriate, replacement Notes are issued to such transferor Lender, if
applicable, and new Notes or, as appropriate, replacement Notes, are issued to
such Purchaser, in each case in principal amounts reflecting their respective
Commitments or Loans, as adjusted pursuant to such assignment.
12.3.4 Register. The
Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower (and the
Borrower hereby designates the Agent to act in such capacity), shall maintain at
one of its offices in New York, New York a copy of each Assignment and
Assumption delivered to it and a register (the “Register”) for the recordation
of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal
amounts of and interest on the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms
hereof from time to time and whether such Lender is an original Lender or
assignee of another Lender pursuant to an assignment under this Section
13.3. The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, absent
manifest error and the Borrower, the Agent and the Lenders may treat each Person
whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender
hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the
contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the
Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon
reasonable prior notice.
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12.4. Dissemination of
Information. The Borrower authorizes each Lender to disclose
to any Participant or Purchaser or any other Person acquiring an interest in the
Loan Documents by operation of law (each a “Transferee”) and any prospective
Transferee any and all information in such Lender’s possession concerning the
creditworthiness of the Borrower and their Subsidiaries; provided that each
Transferee and prospective Transferee agrees to be bound by Section 9.11 of this
Agreement.
12.5. Tax
Certifications. If any interest in any Loan Document is
transferred to any Transferee which is not incorporated under the laws of the
United States or any State thereof, the transferor Lender shall cause such
Transferee, concurrently with the effectiveness of such transfer, to comply with
the provisions of Section 3.5(iv).
ARTICLE
XIII
NOTICES
13.1. Notices.
(a) Except in
the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by
telephone (and subject to paragraph (b) below), all notices and other
communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by
hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or
sent by telecopy, as follows:
(ii)
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if
to the Borrower, to it in care of Ameren Corporation, 0000 Xxxxxxxx
Xxxxxx, Xx. Xxxxx, XX 00000, Attention of Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx, Vice
President and Treasurer (Telecopy No. (000)
000-0000);
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(iii)
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if
to the Agent, to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., Loan and Agency Services
Group, 0000 Xxxxxx, 00xx
Xxxxx, Xxxxxxx, XX 00000, Attention: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxx (Telecopy No. (000)
000-0000), with a copy to JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 000 Xxxx
Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000, Attention of Xxxxxxx X.
XxXxxxx (Telecopy No. (000)
000-0000);
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(iv)
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if
to any other Lender, to it at its address (or telecopy number) set forth
in its Administrative
Questionnaire.
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(a) Notices
and other communications to the Lenders hereunder may be delivered or furnished
by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by the Agent; provided that the
foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless otherwise
agreed by the Agent and the applicable Lender. The Agent or the
Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other
communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to
procedures approved by it; provided that
approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or
communications.
(b) Any party
hereto may change its address or telecopy number for notices and other
communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. All
notices and other communications given to any party hereto in accordance with
the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed to have been given on the date
of receipt.
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13.2. Change of
Address. The Borrower, the Agent and any Lender may each
change the address for service of notice upon it by a notice in writing to the
other parties hereto.
ARTICLE
XIV
COUNTERPARTS
This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, all of which taken
together shall constitute one agreement, and any of the parties hereto may
execute this Agreement by signing any such counterpart. This
Agreement shall be effective when it has been executed by the Borrower, the
Agent and the Lenders and each party has notified the Agent by facsimile
transmission or telephone that it has taken such action.
ARTICLE
XV
CHOICE
OF LAW; CONSENT TO JURISDICTION; WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
15.1 CHOICE OF
LAW. THE LOAN DOCUMENTS (OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINING A
CONTRARY EXPRESS CHOICE OF LAW PROVISION) SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERNAL LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
15.2 CONSENT TO
JURISDICTION. THE BORROWER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE
NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF ANY UNITED STATES FEDERAL OR NEW YORK STATE COURT
SITTING IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR
RELATING TO ANY LOAN DOCUMENTS AND THE BORROWER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AGREES THAT
ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED
IN ANY SUCH COURT AND IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY OBJECTION IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER
HAVE AS TO THE VENUE OF ANY SUCH SUIT, ACTION OR PROCEEDING BROUGHT IN SUCH A
COURT OR THAT SUCH COURT IS AN INCONVENIENT FORUM. NOTHING HEREIN
SHALL LIMIT THE RIGHT OF THE AGENT OR ANY LENDER TO BRING PROCEEDINGS AGAINST
THE BORROWER IN THE COURTS OF ANY OTHER JURISDICTION. ANY JUDICIAL
PROCEEDING BY THE BORROWER AGAINST THE AGENT OR ANY LENDER OR ANY AFFILIATE OF
THE AGENT OR ANY LENDER INVOLVING, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ANY MATTER IN ANY WAY
ARISING OUT OF, RELATED TO, OR CONNECTED WITH ANY LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL BE BROUGHT
ONLY IN A COURT IN NEW YORK, NEW YORK.
15.3 WAIVER OF JURY
TRIAL. THE BORROWER, THE AGENT AND EACH LENDER HEREBY WAIVES
TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY JUDICIAL PROCEEDING INVOLVING, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, ANY
MATTER (WHETHER SOUNDING IN TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE) IN ANY WAY ARISING OUT
OF, RELATED TO, OR CONNECTED WITH ANY LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE RELATIONSHIP
ESTABLISHED THEREUNDER.
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[Signature
Pages Follow]
65
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the Borrower, the Lenders and the Agent have executed this
Agreement as of the date first above written.
AMEREN
CORPORATION,
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by
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/s/
Xxxxx X.
Xxxxxxxx
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Name: Xxxxx
X. Xxxxxxxx
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Title: Vice
President and
Treasurer
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JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A., as
Agent
and as a Lender,
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by
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/s/
Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxx
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Name:
Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxx
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Title:
Executive Director
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BARCLAYS
BANK PLC, as Syndication
Agent
and as a Lender,
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by
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/s/
Xxxxxxxx X.
Xxxx
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Name:
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxx
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Title:
Director
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THE
BANK OF TOKYO - MITSUBISHI
UFJ,
LTD., as Co-Documentation Agent and
as
a Lender,
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by
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/s/
Xxxxxxxx X.
Xxxxx
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Name:
Xxxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
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Title:
Vice President
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BNP
PARIBAS, as Co-Documentation
Agent
and as a Lender,
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by
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/s/
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxxx
|
|
Title:
Managing Director
|
by
|
|
|
/s/
Xxxxxxx
Xxxx
|
Name:
Xxxxxxx Xxxx
|
|
Title:
Director
|
|
COMMITMENT SCHEDULE
Lender
|
Commitment
|
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.
|
$75,000,000
|
Barclays
Bank PLC
|
$75,000,000
|
The
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.
|
$75,000,000
|
BNP
Paribas
|
$75,000,000
|
Aggregate
Commitment
|
$300,000,000
|
SCHEDULE
1
SUBSIDIARIES
(SEE
SECTION 5.8)
Subsidiary
|
Jurisdiction of
Organization
|
Owned
By
|
Percent of
Ownership
|
|
1.
|
Union
Electric Company
|
MO
|
Ameren
Corporation
|
100%
|
a. Union
Electric Capital Trust
|
DE
|
Union
Electric Company
|
100%
|
|
2.
|
Ameren
Services Company
|
MO
|
Ameren
Corporation
|
100%
|
3.
|
Ameren
Development Company
|
MO
|
Ameren
Corporation
|
100%
|
a. Missouri
Central Railroad
Company
|
DE
|
Ameren
Development Company
|
100%
|
|
b. Gateway
Energy Systems, L.L.C.
|
MO
|
Ameren
Development Company
|
89.1%
|
|
i. Gateway
Energy WGK Project,
L.L.C.
|
IL
|
Gateway
Energy Systems, L.L.C.
|
100%
|
|
c. CIPSCO
Leasing Company
|
IL
|
Ameren
Development Company
|
100%
|
|
4.
|
Ameren
Illinois Transmission
Company
|
IL
|
Ameren
Corporation
|
100%
|
5.
|
Ameren
Energy Resources Company, LLC
|
DE
|
Ameren
Corporation
|
100%
|
a. AmerenEnergy
Xxxxxx Valley
Cogen
L.L.C.
|
IL
|
Ameren
Energy Resources Company, LLC
|
100%
|
|
b. Ameren
Energy Fuels and Services
Company
|
IL
|
Ameren
Energy Resources Company, LLC
|
100%
|
|
c. Illinois
Materials Supply Co.
|
IL
|
Ameren
Energy Resources Company, LLC
|
100%
|
|
d. Ameren
Energy Marketing
Company
|
IL
|
Ameren
Energy Resources Company, LLC
|
100%
|
|
e. Electric
Energy Inc.
|
IL
|
Ameren
Energy Resources Company, LLC
|
80%
|
|
i. Met-South
Inc.
|
IL
|
Electric
Energy Inc.
|
100%
|
|
ii. Midwest
Electric Power, Inc.
|
IL
|
Electric
Energy Inc.
|
100%
|
Subsidiary
|
Jurisdiction of
Organization
|
Owned
By
|
Percent of
Ownership
|
iii. Massac
Enterprises LLC
|
IL
|
Electric
Energy Inc.
|
100%
|
|
iv. Joppa
& Eastern Railroad Company
|
IL
|
Electric
Energy Inc.
|
100%
|
|
f. Ameren
Energy Generating Company
|
IL
|
Ameren
Energy Resources Company, LLC
|
100%
|
|
x. Xxxxxxx
and Western Railroad Company
|
IL
|
Ameren
Energy Generating Company
|
100%
|
|
6.
|
Ameren
Capital Trust I & Ameren
Capital
Trust II
|
DE
|
Ameren
Corporation
|
100%
|
7.
|
Energy
Risk Assurance Company
|
VT
|
Ameren
Corporation
|
100%
|
a. Missouri
Energy Risk Assurance
Company
LLC
|
MO
|
Energy
Risk Assurance Company
|
100%
|
2
SCHEDULE
2
LIENS
(see
Section 6.13.5)
None.
SCHEDULE
3
RESTRICTIVE
AGREEMENTS
(see
Section 6.16)
Following
are the agreements or other arrangements existing as of the effective date of
the Credit Agreement dated as of June 25, 2008 (the “Agreement”) among the
Borrower, the lending institutions identified therein as Lenders and JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., as Agent and provisions, that prohibit, restrict or impose any
condition upon the ability of the Borrower or any Subsidiary (other than a
Project Finance Subsidiary or Non-Material Subsidiary) (i) to pay dividends or
make any other distribution on its common stock, (ii) to pay any Indebtedness or
other obligation owed to the Borrower or any Subsidiary of the Borrower, or
(iii) to make loans or advances or other Investments in the Borrower or any
Subsidiary of the Borrower. The following list does not include restrictions and
conditions imposed by law, by the above-referenced Agreement or by the Existing
Credit Agreement. Terms defined in the above-referenced Agreement are used
herein with the same meanings.
Union
Electric
Union
Electric Subordinated Deferrable Interest Debentures 7.69% Series A due 2036:
Dividend Restriction. If Union Electric exercises its right to extend
the interest payment period on the debentures, Union Electric may not, during
any such extension period, declare or pay any dividend on, or redeem, purchase,
acquire or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of its capital stock
or make any guarantee payments with respect to the foregoing.
Genco
Genco
Indenture dated November 1, 2000, as supplemented: Restricted/Conditional
Payments. So long as any senior notes are outstanding, (a) if Genco's Senior
Debt Service Coverage Ratio calculated on a Pro-Forma Basis (both as defined in
Article I of this indenture) is below 1.75 to 1.0 for the most recently ended
four fiscal quarters prior to the date of measurement or, based on projections
prepared by Genco, below 1.75 to 1.0 (or 1.50 to 1.0 under circumstances
described in Section 3.11(b) of this indenture) for any of the succeeding four
six-month periods from the month including the date of measurement, Genco may
not (i) pay dividends on or redeem or repurchase its capital stock or (ii) make
payments of principal or interest on any subordinated indebtedness Genco has
issued except for Genco's $552 million promissory note with CIPS dated May 1,
2000 unless any such redemption or repurchase of capital stock or subordinated
indebtedness is paid from proceeds received from the concurrent issuance of
capital stock or other subordinated indebtedness, and (b) Genco may not make any
principal payment on the $552 million promissory note with CIPS other than the
final payment due upon maturity if Genco does not have sufficient Available Cash
(as defined in Article I of this indenture) to do so. There are no restrictions
or conditions in the Indenture limiting Genco's ability to make repayments of
borrowings under, or investments in, the Company's Non-utility Money Pool
Agreement.
EXHIBIT A
June [ ],
2008
To the
Lenders (as defined below) and
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., as Agent
|
000 Xxxx
Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx,
XX 00000
Dear
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I, S.R.
Xxxxxxxx, am the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Ameren
Corporation, a Missouri corporation (the “Company”), and
certain of its subsidiaries. I, or lawyers under my direction, have
acted as counsel for the Company in connection with the negotiation and
execution of that certain Credit Agreement dated as of June [25], 2008 (the
“Credit
Agreement”) among the Company, the lending institutions identified
therein as “Lenders,” JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., as Agent, Barclays Bank PLC, as Syndication Agent, Bank of
Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., as Co-Documentation Agent and BNP Paribas, as
Co-Documentation Agent. Terms defined in the Credit Agreement are
used herein with the same meanings.
In
rendering the opinion expressed below, I, or lawyers under my direction, have
examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to my
satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records, certificates of public
officials and other instruments and have conducted such other investigations of
fact and law as I have deemed necessary or advisable for purposes of this
opinion.
In making
the examinations described above, I have assumed without independent
investigation the capacity of natural persons (other than the office held by
each representative of the Company) as reflected adjacent to such individual’s
signature on the Loan Documents (as defined below), the genuineness of all
signatures (other than those of representatives of the Company appearing on the
Loan Documents), the authenticity of all documents furnished to me as originals,
the conformity to originals of all documents furnished to me as certified or
photostatic copies and the authenticity of the originals of such
documents. In addition, I have assumed without independent
investigation that (i) the Credit Agreement has been duly authorized,
executed and delivered by the Lenders and the Agent, and constitutes their
valid, lawful and binding obligation and agreement and (ii) there is no separate
agreement, undertaking, or course of dealing modifying, varying or waiving any
of the terms of the Loan Documents. As to matters of fact not
independently established by me relevant to the opinions set forth herein, I
have relied without independent investigation on the representations contained
in the Credit Agreement and in certificates of public officials and responsible
representatives of the Company furnished to me; provided, however, that I
advise that in the course of my representation of the Company, I have obtained
no information that leads me to believe that any such representation or
certificate is untrue or misleading in any material respect.
Upon the
basis of and subject to the foregoing, I am of the opinion that:
1. The
Company is a corporation duly and properly incorporated, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of the State of Missouri, has all requisite
authority to conduct its business as presently conducted and (except to the
extent that the failure to have so qualified to do business would not have
resulted and could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse
Effect) is qualified to do business in each jurisdiction in which its business
is conducted.
2. The
Company has the power and authority and legal right to execute and deliver, and
to perform its obligations under, the Credit Agreement and the Notes
(collectively, the (“Loan
Documents”). The execution and delivery of, and the
performance of its obligations under, the Loan Documents by the Company have
been duly authorized by proper proceedings, and the Loan Documents to which the
Company is a party constitute legal, valid and binding obligations of the
Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except
as enforceability may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
conveyance, reorganization, or similar laws relating to or affecting the
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; (ii) general equitable principles
(whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and
(iii) requirements of reasonableness, good faith and fair
dealing.
3. Neither
the execution and delivery by the Company of the Loan Documents, nor the
consummation of the transactions therein contemplated, nor compliance with the
provisions thereof, nor the performance of the obligations thereunder violate
(i) any law, rule or regulation of the State of Missouri or the United States of
America, or any order, writ, judgment, injunction, decree or award binding on
the Company, (ii) the Company’s articles or certificate of incorporation or
by-laws or (iii) the provisions of any indenture or material instrument or
agreement to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or is
subject, or by which it, or its Property, is bound, or conflict with, or
constitute a default under, or result in, or require, the creation or imposition
of any Lien in, of or on the Property of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries
pursuant to the terms of, any such indenture, instrument or
agreement. No order, consent, adjudication, approval, license,
authorization, or validation of, or filing, recording or registration with, or
exemption by, or other action in respect of any governmental or public body or
authority, or any subdivision thereof, which has not been obtained by the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, is required to be obtained by the Company or
any such Subsidiary in connection with the execution and delivery of the Loan
Documents, the borrowings thereunder, the payment and performance by the Company
of the obligations thereunder or the legality, validity, binding effect or
enforceability as to the Company of any of the Loan Documents.
4. Except
for the Disclosed Matters, there is no litigation, arbitration, governmental
investigation, proceeding or inquiry currently existing, or, to the best of my
knowledge after due inquiry, pending or threatened against or affecting the
Company or any of its Subsidiaries, which, if determined adversely to the
Company or any such Subsidiary, could reasonably be expected to have a Material
Adverse Effect or which seeks to prevent, enjoin or delay the making of the
Loans or would adversely effect the legality, validity or enforceability of the
Loan Documents as to the Company or the ability of the Company to perform the
transactions contemplated therein.
5. The
Company is not an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an
“investment company,” within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940,
as amended.
6. No
federal governmental consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations,
declarations or filings are required in connection with the execution, delivery
and/or performance by the Company of the Loan Documents.
7. In
a properly presented case, a Missouri court or a federal court applying Missouri
choice of law rules should give effect to the choice of law provisions of the
Loan Documents and should hold that the Loan Documents are to be governed by the
laws of the State of New York rather than the laws of the State of
Missouri. In rendering the foregoing opinion, I note that by their
terms the Loan Documents expressly selects New York law as the law
governing their interpretation and that the Loan Documents were delivered to the
Agent in New York. The choice of law provisions of the Loan Documents
are not voidable under the laws of the State of
Missouri. Notwithstanding the foregoing, even if a Missouri court or
a federal court holds that the Loan Documents are to be governed by the laws of
the State of Missouri, the Loan Documents would constitute a legal, valid and
binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company under
Missouri law (including usury provisions) in accordance with their terms, except
as enforceability may be limited by (i) bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
conveyance, reorganization, or similar laws relating to or affecting the
enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; (ii) general equitable principles
(whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and
(iii) requirements of reasonableness, good faith and fair
dealing.
I express
no opinion as to the compliance or noncompliance, or the effect of the
compliance or noncompliance, of any addressee with any state or federal laws or
regulations applicable to it by reason of its status as or affiliation with a
federally insured depository institution.
3
I am a
member of the Bar of the State of Missouri and the foregoing opinion is limited
to the laws of the State of Missouri and the Federal laws of the United States
of America typically relevant to a transaction of this type. I note
that the Loan Documents are governed by the laws of the State of New York and,
for purposes of the opinion expressed in opinion paragraph 2 above and with your
permission, I have assumed that the laws of the State of New York do not differ
from the laws of the State of Missouri in any manner that would render such
opinion incorrect. This opinion is rendered solely to you in
connection with the above matter. This opinion may not be relied upon
by you for any other purpose or relied upon by any other Person (other than your
successors and assigns as Lenders) without my prior written
consent. Notwithstanding anything in this opinion letter to the
contrary, you may disclose this opinion (i) to prospective successors and
assigns of the addressees hereof, (ii) to regulatory authorities having
jurisdiction over any of the addressees hereof or their successors and assigns,
and (iii) pursuant to valid legal process, in each case without my prior
consent.
4
This
opinion is delivered as of the date hereof and I undertake no, and disclaim any,
obligation to advise you of any change in matters of law or fact set forth
herein or upon which this opinion is based.
Very
truly yours,
By:
___________________________________
Name:
Title:
[Signature Page to Borrower’s Counsel’s Opinion]
EXHIBIT
B
[FORM OF
COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE]
To: The
Lenders Party to the
Credit Agreement Described
Below
This
Compliance Certificate is furnished pursuant to that certain Credit Agreement
dated as of June 25, 2008 (as amended, modified, renewed or extended from time
to time, the “Agreement”) among Ameren Corporation (the “Company” or
“Borrower”), the lending institutions party thereto (the “Lenders”), JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., as Agent, Barclays Bank PLC, as Syndication Agent, The Bank of
Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., as Co-Documentation Agent and BNP Paribas, as
Co-Documentation Agent. Unless otherwise defined herein, capitalized
terms used in this Compliance Certificate have the meanings ascribed thereto in
the Agreement.
THE
UNDERSIGNED HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT:
1. I
am the duly elected Vice President and Treasurer of the Borrower;
2. I
have reviewed the terms of the Agreement and I have made, or have caused to be
made under my supervision, a detailed review of the transactions and conditions
of the Borrower and its Subsidiaries during the accounting period covered by the
attached financial statements;
3. The
examinations described in paragraph 2 did not disclose, and I have no knowledge
of, the existence of any condition or event which constitutes a Default or
Unmatured Default during or at the end of the accounting period covered by the
attached financial statements or as of the date of this Certificate, except as
set forth below; and
4. Schedule
I attached hereto sets forth financial data and computations evidencing the
Borrower’s compliance with certain covenants of the Agreement as of the end of
the most recent fiscal quarter for which such financial data and computations
have been prepared.
Described
below are the exceptions, if any, to paragraph 3 by listing, in detail, the
nature of the condition or event, the period during which it has existed and the
action which the Borrower has taken, is taking, or proposes to take with respect
to each such condition or event:
The
foregoing certifications, together with the computations set forth in Schedule I
hereto and the financial statements delivered with this Compliance Certificate
in support hereof, are made and delivered this _____ day of __________,
20__.
By:
________________________________
Name:
Xxxxx X. Xxxxxxxx
Title:
Vice President and Treasurer
2
SCHEDULE 1
TO COMPLIANCE
CERTIFICATE
Compliance
as of _______________, 20__ with
Provisions
of Section 6.17 of
the
Credit Agreement
LEVERAGE
RATIO
Company:
Consolidated
Indebtedness of the
Company: $___________
Consolidated
Total Capitalization of the
Company: $___________
Company’s
Leverage Ratio (Ratio of 1 to
2): _____
to 1.00
EXHIBIT C
[FORM OF
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION AGREEMENT]
This
Assignment and Assumption (the “Assignment and
Assumption”) is dated as of the Effective Date set forth below and is
entered into by and between [Insert name of Assignor] (the
“Assignor”) and
[Insert name of
Assignee] (the “Assignee”). Capitalized
terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings given to them in the
Credit Agreement identified below (as amended, the “Credit Agreement”),
receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged by the
Assignee. The Terms and Conditions set forth in Annex 1 attached
hereto are hereby agreed to and incorporated herein by reference and made a part
of this Assignment and Assumption as if set forth herein in full.
For an
agreed consideration, the Assignor hereby irrevocably sells and assigns to the
Assignee, and the Assignee hereby irrevocably purchases and assumes from the
Assignor, subject to and in accordance with the Standard Terms and Conditions
and the Credit Agreement, as of the Effective Date inserted by the Agent as
contemplated below, the interest in and to all of the Assignor’s rights and
obligations in its capacity as a Lender under the Credit Agreement and any other
documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto that represents the amount
and percentage interest identified below of all of the Assignor’s outstanding
rights and obligations under the respective facilities identified below
(including without limitation and, to the extent permitted to be assigned under
applicable law, all claims (including without limitation contract claims, tort
claims, malpractice claims, statutory claims and all other claims at law or in
equity), suits, causes of action and any other right of the Assignor against any
Person whether known or unknown arising under or in connection with the Credit
Agreement, any other documents or instruments delivered pursuant thereto or the
loan transactions governed thereby) (the “Assigned
Interest”). Such sale and assignment is without recourse to
the Assignor and, except as expressly provided in this Assignment and
Assumption, without representation or warranty by the Assignor.
1.
|
Assignor:
|
|||||
2.
|
Assignee:
|
[and
is an Affiliate/Approved
|
||||
Fund
of [identify
Lender]]1
|
||||||
3.
|
Borrower:
|
Ameren
Corporation
|
||||
4.
|
Agent:
|
JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A., as Agent under the Credit Agreement.
|
||||
5.
|
Credit
Agreement:
|
The
Credit Agreement, dated as of June 25, 2008, among the
Borrower,
the Lenders party thereto, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as
Agent,
Barclays Bank PLC, as Syndication Agent, The Bank of
Tokyo-Mitsubishi
UFJ, Ltd., as Co-Documentation Agent and BNP
Paribas,
as Co-Documentation Agent.
|
||||
6.
|
Assigned
Interest:
|
|||||
Aggregate
Amount of Commitment/Loans for all Lenders*
|
Amount
of Commitment/Loans Assigned*
|
Percentage
Assigned of Commitment/Loans2
|
||||
$
|
$
|
_______%
|
||||
$
|
$
|
_______%
|
||||
$
|
$
|
_______%
|
||||
7.
|
Trade
Date:
|
|||||
Effective
Date: ____________, 20__ [TO BE INSERTED BY AGENT AND WHICH SHALL BE
THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF RECORDATION OF TRANSFER BY THE AGENT.]
1 Select
as applicable.
* Amount
to be adjusted by the counterparties to take into account any payments or
prepayments made between the Trade Date and the Effective
Date.
2
The terms
set forth in this Assignment and Assumption are hereby agreed to:
ASSIGNOR
[NAME
OF ASSIGNOR]
|
|||
by:
|
____________________________________ | ||
Name:
Title:
|
|||
ASSIGNEE
[NAME
OF ASSIGNEE]
|
|||
by:
|
____________________________________ | ||
Name:
Title:
|
|||
[Consented
to and]4 Accepted:
|
|||
JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A., as Agent
|
|||
by:
|
___________________________________
|
||
Name:
|
|||
Title:
|
|||
[Consented
to:]5
|
|||
AMEREN
CORPORATION
|
|||
by:
|
___________________________________
|
||
Name:
|
|||
Title:
|
_______________________
5 To
be added only if the consent of the Borrower is required by the terms of the
Credit Agreement.
3
ANNEX 1
TO
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION
TERMS AND
CONDITIONS FOR
ASSIGNMENT
AND ASSUMPTION
1. Representations and
Warranties.
1.1 Assignor. The
Assignor represents and warrants that (i) it is the legal and beneficial owner
of the Assigned Interest, (ii) the Assigned Interest is free and clear of any
lien, encumbrance or other adverse claim and (iii) it has full power and
authority, and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this
Assignment and Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated
hereby. Neither the Assignor nor any of its officers, directors,
employees, agents or attorneys shall be responsible for (i) any statements,
warranties or representations made in or in connection with the Credit Agreement
or any other Loan Document, (ii) the execution, legality, validity,
enforceability, genuineness, sufficiency, perfection, priority, collectibility,
or value of the Loan Documents or any collateral thereunder, (iii) the financial
condition of the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other
Person obligated in respect of any Loan Document, (iv) the performance or
observance by the Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates or any other
Person of any of their respective obligations under any Loan Document, (v)
inspecting any of the property, books or records of the Borrower, or any
guarantor, or (vi) any mistake, error of judgment, or action taken or omitted to
be taken in connection with the Loans or the Loan Documents.
1.2. Assignee. The
Assignee (a) represents and warrants that (i) it has full power and authority,
and has taken all action necessary, to execute and deliver this Assignment and
Assumption and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and to become
a Lender under the Credit Agreement, (ii) from and after the Effective Date, it
shall be bound by the provisions of the Credit Agreement as a Lender thereunder
and, to the extent of the Assigned Interest, shall have the obligations of a
Lender thereunder, (iii) agrees that its payment instructions and notice
instructions are as set forth in Schedule 1 to this Assignment and Assumption,
(iv) none of the funds, monies, assets or other consideration being used to make
the purchase and assumption hereunder are “plan assets” as defined under ERISA
and that its rights, benefits and interests in and under the Loan Documents will
not be “plan assets” under ERISA, (v) agrees to indemnify and hold the Assignor
harmless against all losses, costs and expenses (including, without limitation,
reasonable attorneys’ fees) and liabilities incurred by the Assignor in
connection with or arising in any manner from the Assignee’s non-performance of
the obligations assumed under this Assignment and Assumption, (vi) it has
received a copy of the Credit Agreement, together with copies of
financial statements and such other documents and information as it has deemed
appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this
Assignment and Assumption and to purchase the Assigned Interest on the basis of
which it has made such analysis and decision independently and without reliance
on the Agent or any other Lender, and (vii) attached as Schedule 1 to this
Assignment and Assumption is any documentation required to be delivered by the
Assignee with respect to its tax status pursuant to the terms of the Credit
Agreement, duly completed and executed by the Assignee and (b) agrees that (i)
it
will,
independently and without reliance on the Agent, the Assignor or any other
Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate
at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking
action under the Loan Documents, and (ii) it will perform in accordance with
their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Loan Documents are
required to be performed by it as a Lender.
2. Payments. The
Assignee shall pay the Assignor, on the Effective Date, the amount agreed to by
the Assignor and the Assignee. From and after the Effective Date, the
Agent shall make all payments in respect of the Assigned Interest (including
payments of principal, interest, fees and other amounts) to the Assignor for
amounts which have accrued to but excluding the Effective Date and to the
Assignee for amounts which have accrued from and after the Effective
Date.
3. General
Provisions. This Assignment and Assumption shall be binding
upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective
successors and assigns. This Assignment and Assumption may be
executed in any number of counterparts, which together shall constitute one
instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page
of this Assignment and Assumption by telecopy shall be effective as delivery of
a manually executed counterpart of this Assignment and
Assumption. This Assignment and Assumption shall be governed by, and
construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.
2
ADMINISTRATIVE
QUESTIONNAIRE
(Schedule
to be supplied by Closing Unit or Trading Documentation Unit)
US
AND NON-US TAX INFORMATION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
(Schedule
to be supplied by Closing Unit or Trading Documentation Unit)
EXHIBIT
D
[FORM OF
LOAN/CREDIT RELATED MONEY TRANSFER INSTRUCTION]
To:
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JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A.,
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as
Agent (the “Agent”) under the Credit
Agreement
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Described
Below.
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Re:
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That
certain Credit Agreement, dated as of June 25, 2008 (as amended, modified,
renewed or extended from time to time, the “Agreement”) among Ameren
Corporation (the “Company” or “Borrower”), the lending institutions party
thereto (the “Lenders”),
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Agent, Barclays Bank PLC, as Syndication
Agent, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., as Co-Documentation Agent
and BNP Paribas, as Co-Documentation
Agent.
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The Agent
is specifically authorized and directed to act upon the following standing money
transfer instructions with respect to the proceeds of Advances or other
extensions of credit from time to time until receipt by the Agent of a specific
written revocation of such instructions by the Borrower, provided, however, that the
Agent may otherwise transfer funds as hereafter directed in writing by the
Borrower in accordance with Section 13.1 of the Credit Agreement or based on any
telephonic notice made in accordance with Section 2.17 of the Credit
Agreement.
Facility
Identification Number(s)
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_______________________________________________________________________________________ | ||||||||
Customer/Account
Name
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Ameren Corporation
General
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||||||||
Transfer
Funds To
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USBank / Cincinnati,
Ohio
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||||||||
ABA
000000000
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|||||||||
For
Account No.
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130103018037
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Reference/Attention
To
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Ameren
Corporation General
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||||||||
Authorized
Officer (Customer Representative)
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Date
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____________________________________________ | |||||||
______________________________________________________ | ___________________________________________________ | ||||||||
(Please
Print)
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Signature
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||||||||
Bank
Officer Name
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Date
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____________________________________________ | |||||||
______________________________________________________ | ___________________________________________________ | ||||||||
(Please
Print)
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Signature
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(Deliver
Completed Form to Credit Support Staff For Immediate Processing)
EXHIBIT
E
[FORM OF
PROMISSORY NOTE]
[Date]
Ameren
Corporation, a Missouri corporation (the “Borrower”), promises to pay to the
order of ___________________________________ (the “Lender”) on the Maturity Date
__________ DOLLARS ($__________) or, if less, the aggregate unpaid principal
amount of all Loans made by the Lender to the Borrower pursuant to Article II of
the Agreement (as hereinafter defined), in immediately available funds at the
main office of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., in New York, New York, as Agent,
together with accrued but unpaid interest thereon. The Borrower shall
pay interest on the unpaid principal amount hereof at the rates and on the dates
set forth in the Agreement.
The
Lender shall, and is hereby authorized to, record on its books and records in
accordance with its usual practice, the date and amount of each Loan and the
date and amount of each principal payment hereunder.
This Note
is one of the Notes issued pursuant to, and is entitled to the benefits of, that
certain Credit Agreement dated as of June 25, 2008 (as amended, modified,
renewed or extended from time to time, the “Agreement”) among the Borrower, the
lending institutions party thereto including the Lender (the “Lenders”),
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Agent, Barclays Bank PLC, as Syndication Agent,
The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd., as Co-Documentation Agent and BNP
Paribas, as Co-Documentation Agent, to which Agreement reference is hereby made
for a statement of the terms and conditions governing this Note, including the
terms and conditions under which this Note may be prepaid or its maturity date
accelerated. Capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined
herein are used with the meanings attributed to them in the
Agreement.
THIS
NOTE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE
OF NEW YORK.
AMEREN
CORPORATION
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by:
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____________________________________ | ||
Name:
Title:
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EXHIBIT
F
[FORM OF
DESIGNATION AGREEMENT]
Dated
____________, 20__
Reference
is made to that certain Credit Agreement, dated as of June 25, 2008 (as amended,
modified, renewed or extended from time to time, the “Agreement”) among Ameren
Corporation (the “Company” or “Borrower”), the lending institutions party
thereto (the “Lenders”), JPMorgan
Chase Bank, N.A. (having its principal office in New York, NY), as Agent,
Barclays Bank PLC, as Syndication Agent, The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd.,
as Co-Documentation Agent and BNP Paribas, as Co-Documentation Agent. Terms
defined in the Credit Agreement are used herein as therein defined.
____________
(the “Designating
Lender”), ____________ (the
“Designated Lender”),
and the Borrower agree as follows:
1.
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The
Designating Lender hereby designates the Designated Lender, and the
Designated Lender hereby accepts such designation, as its Designated
Lender under the Credit Agreement.
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2.
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The
Designating Lender makes no representations or warranty and assumes no
responsibility with respect to the financial condition of the Borrower or
the performance or observance by the Borrower of any of its obligations
under the Credit Agreement or any other instrument or document furnished
pursuant thereto.
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3.
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The
Designated Lender (i) confirms that it has received a copy of the Credit
Agreement, together with copies of the financial statements referred to in
Article V and Article VI thereof and such other documents and information
as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision
to enter into this Designation Agreement; (ii) agrees that it will,
independently and without reliance upon the Agent, the Designating Lender
or any other Lender and based on such documents and information as it
shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit
decisions in taking or not taking any action it may be permitted to take
under the Credit Agreement; (iii) confirms that it is an Eligible
Designee; (iv) appoints and authorizes the Designating Lender as its
administrative agent and attorney-in-fact and grants the Designating
Lender an irrevocable power of attorney to receive payments made for the
benefit of the Designated Lender under the Credit Agreement and to deliver
and receive all communications and notices under the Credit Agreement, if
any, that Designated Lender is obligated to deliver or has the right to
receive thereunder; (v) acknowledges that it is subject to and bound by
the confidentiality provisions of the Credit Agreement (except as
permitted under Section 12.4 thereof); and (vi) acknowledges that the
Designating Lender retains the sole right and responsibility to vote under
the Credit Agreement, including, without limitation, the right to approve
any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of the Credit
Agreement, and agrees that the Designated Lender shall be bound by all
such
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votes, approvals, amendments, modifications and waivers and all
other agreements of the Designating Lender pursuant to or in connection with the
Credit Agreement.
4.
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Following
the execution of this Designation Agreement by the Designating Lender, the
Designated Lender and the Borrower, it will be delivered to the Agent for
acceptance and recording by the Agent. The effective date of
this Designation Agreement shall be the date of acceptance thereof by the
Agent, unless otherwise specified on the signature page hereto (the
“Effective Date”).
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5.
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Upon
such acceptance and recording by the Agent, as of the Effective Date (a)
the Designated Lender shall have the right to make Loans as a Lender
pursuant to Article II of the Credit Agreement and the rights of a Lender
related thereto and (b) the making of any such Loans by the Designated
Lender shall satisfy the obligations of the Designating Lender under the
Credit Agreement to the same extent, and as if, such Loans were made by
the Designating Lender.
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6.
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Each
party to this Designation Agreement hereby agrees that it shall not
institute against, or join any other Person in instituting against, any
Designated Lender any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency
or liquidation proceeding or other proceedings under any federal or state
bankruptcy or similar law for one year and a day after payment in full of
all outstanding senior indebtedness of any Designated Lender; provided that
the Designating Lender for each Designated Lender hereby agrees to
indemnify, save and hold harmless each other party hereto for any loss,
cost, damage and expense arising out of its inability to institute any
such proceeding against such Designated Lender. This Section 6
of the Designation Agreement shall survive the termination of this
Designation Agreement and termination of the Credit
Agreement.
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7.
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This
Designation Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the internal laws of the State of New
York.
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2
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Designation Agreement to be
executed by their respective officers hereunto duly authorized, as of the date
first above written.
Effective
Date6:
[NAME
OF DESIGNATING LENDER]
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by:
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____________________________________________________________ | ||
Name:
Title:
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[NAME
OF DESIGNATED LENDER]
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by:
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____________________________________________________________ | ||
Name:
Title:
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AMEREN
CORPORATION
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by:
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____________________________________________________________ | ||
Name:
Title:
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Accepted
and Approved this
_____
day of __________, 20__
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JPMORGAN
CHASE BANK, N.A., as Agent
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by:
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___________________________________
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Name:
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Title:
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6 This
date should be no earlier than the date of acceptance by the Agent.
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EXHIBIT
G
SUBORDINATION
TERMS
All
subordinated indebtedness (hereinafter referred to as “Subordinated Debt”) of
the Borrower incurred after the date of this Agreement that is not being
included in the calculation of Consolidated Indebtedness for the purposes of
proviso (c) of Section 6.17 shall be in the form of indebtedness of the Borrower
to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that is subordinate and junior to any
and all indebtedness (hereinafter referred to as “Senior Debt”) of the Borrower,
whether existing on the date of this Agreement or thereafter incurred, in
respect of (i) all Obligations of the Borrower under this Agreement, (ii)
other borrowings of the Borrower from any one or more banks, insurance
companies, pension or profit sharing trusts, or other financial institutions
whether secured or unsecured and (iii) all other borrowings incurred,
assumed or guaranteed by the Borrower, at any time, evidenced by a note,
debenture, bond or other similar instrument (including capitalized lease and
purchase money obligations, and/or for the acquisition (whether by way of
purchase, merger or otherwise) of any business, real property or other assets
(except assets acquired in the ordinary course of business) but excluding
obligations other than for borrowed money including trade payables and other
obligations to general creditors) other than
indebtedness which, by its terms or the terms of the instrument creating or
evidencing it, provides that such indebtedness is subordinated to all other
indebtedness of the Borrower. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement on this Exhibit G, “Senior Debt” shall include refinancings,
renewals, amendments, extensions or refundings of the indebtedness described in
clauses (i) through (iii) above.
“Subordinate
and junior” as used herein shall mean that in the event of:
(a) any
default in, or violation of, the terms or covenants of any Senior Debt,
including, without limitation, any default in payment of principal of, or
premium, if any, or interest on, any Senior Debt whenever due (whether by
acceleration of maturity or otherwise), and during the continuance thereof,
or
(b) the
institution of any liquidation, dissolution, bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or similar proceeding relating to the Borrower, its property or
its creditors as such,
the
obligee of indebtedness so described shall not be entitled to receive any
payment of principal of, or premium, if any, or interest on, such indebtedness
until all amounts owing in respect of Senior Debt (matured and unmatured) shall
have been paid in full; and from and after the happening of any event described
in clause (b) of this paragraph, all payments and distributions of any kind
or character (whether in cash, securities or property) which, except for the
subordination provisions hereof, would have been payable or distributable to the
obligee of such indebtedness (whether directly or by reason of this note’s being
superior to any other indebtedness), shall be made to and for the benefit of the
holders of Senior Debt (who shall be entitled to make all necessary
claims
therefor) in accordance with the priorities of payment thereof until all Senior
Debt (matured and unmatured) shall have been paid in full. No act or
failure to act on the part of the Borrower, and no default under or breach of
any agreement of the Borrower, whether or not herein set forth, shall in any way
prevent or limit the holder of any Senior Debt from enforcing fully the
subordination terms herein provided for, irrespective of any knowledge or notice
which such holder may at any time have or be charged with. In the
event that any payment or distribution is made with respect to Subordinated Debt
in violation of the terms of this Exhibit G or any outstanding Senior Debt,
any holder of Subordinated Debt receiving such payment or distribution shall
hold it in trust for the benefit of, and shall remit it to, the holders of
Senior Debt then outstanding in accordance with the priorities of payment
thereof.
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