Document:

Exhibit 10.1

 

Merger Agreement

 

Party A:Qingdao Renmin Printing Co., Ltd

Party B:Qingdao Jiexin Recycling Resources Technological
Development Co. Ltd

 

Whereas Party A and
Party B, through friendly negotiation, pursuant to laws and regulations of People’s Republic of China, herewith agree to
the terms as follows.

 

Section 1.Acquisition Target

 

100% of Party B’s shares.

 

Section 2.Party A’s Investment
Procedure and Conditions

 

1.The total
investment amount by Party A is RMB 5,000,000. The parties will set up a joint account for the investment fund from Party A.

2.Party
A shall wire RMB 5,000,000 to the joint account within three days of executing this Merger Agreement.

 

Section 3.Creditor’s Rights and
Debt Obligations

 

Upon the closing of the
merger transaction, Party A shall assume all Party B’s creditor’s rights and debt obligations.

 

Section 4.Transfer of Documents and Modifications

 

1.Within
15 business days of Party A’s wire of RMB 5,000,000 into the joint account, Party B shall complete the legal procedures of
the change of legal representative, modification of the articles of incorporation, change of shareholder registration, and change
of registration with the Industrial and Commerce Administration Authorities.

2.Before
the change of legal representative, Party B shall submit corporate qualification, tax registration, serial number and other corporate
legal documents to Party A for review.

3.After
Party B has changed the legal representative and shareholder registration, Party B shall submit all relevant documents to Party
A.

4.Party
B warrants that all financial documents are complete. Party B shall indemnity Party A for any loss caused by the transfer of incomplete
financial documents.

5.After
the merger, Party A shall hold all equities Party B owns on the date of the execution of this Merger Agreement including but not
limited to all assets, patents, intangible assets, goodwill.

6.After
the merger, both the original and new management of Party B shall not themselves or delegate others to produce or sell the same
or similar products of Party B through any third party.

 

Section 5.Events of Default

 

1.Unless
under the circumstances of changed of government regulation or force majeure, any of the following events would constitute breach
of contract:

(1)Either
party cannot or refuses to follow the terms of this agreement to fully perform their obligations;

(2)Either
party, without proper justification, interferes, impedes or in any other way prevents the other party from performing their obligations
under this agreement;

(3)Either
party, claims interests or rights out of this agreement;

(4)Either
party performs any acts in conflicts with the terms of this agreement, or their omission results in breach of the terms.

2.In case
of any events of breach of contract, the non-breaching party shall have the right to immediately request the termination of this
agreement and request the breaching party to indemnify any actual economic loss caused to the non-breaching party. When both parties
breach, either party shall be responsible for their own breach

3.The liquidated
damage under this agreement is 20% of RMB 5,000,000 paid by Party A. Both parties shall be abided by their obligations. In case
of breach of contract, the breaching party shall be responsible to pay damages to the non-breaching party.

4.When
the breaching party has caused economic and other loss to the non-breaching party, the non-breaching party has the right to additional
damages from the breaching party.

5.If any
party’s default has caused any fees, loss and expenses, including any loss caused to the non-breaching party by the breaching
party and related litigation expenses, attorney fees, auditor fees, evaluation fees, traveling fares and other expenses, the breaching
party shall indemnify the non-breaching party.

 

Section 6.Termination and Cancellation
of the Agreement

 

1.Party
A and B shall stop performing this agreement under one of the following circumstances:

(1)All
terms under the agreement have been performed;

(2)The
agreement has been terminated pursuant to both parties’ consent;

(3)Both
parties’ obligations under this agreement have been offset.

2.This
agreement shall be cancelled under one of the following circumstances:

(1)The
purpose of this agreement cannot be fulfilled due to government conduct or force majeure;

(2)The
agreement has been cancelled pursuant to both parties’ consent;

(3)One
party’s breach of contact causes the agreement not being able to be continuously performed.

 

Section 7.Miscellaneous

 

1.Except
under the circumstances of force majeure or/and both parties have signed written supplementary agreement or new contract to confirm,
otherwise the terms under this agreement shall not be orally or in any other form modified, renounced, terminated or cancelled.

2.Any effective
communication, notices or requests between the parties shall be in written format. Upon transmission of telex and telegram, after
seventh day of dispatch of a mail, and hand delivery of a letter, it shall be considered effective delivery.

3.Illegality,
invalidity or unenforceability of any provision or any part of this agreement shall not affect the validity of other provisions
of this agreement.

 

Section 8.Effect and Dispute Solution

 

1.This
agreement shall be effective upon execution.

2.In case
of dispute, the parties shall initiate friendly negotiation to seek a solution. If the dispute cannot be solved through negotiation,
either party has the right to choose a people’s court that has jurisdiction over the agreement.

3.During
the period of solving a dispute, except for the matters being disputed, both parties shall continue to perform other obligations
under this agreement.

 

 

Representative of Party A: [Signed & Official Seal of Qingdao
Renmin Printing Co., Ltd]

Dated: July 20, 2011

 

Representative of Party B: [Signed & Official Seal of Qingdao
Jiexin Recycling Resources Technological Development Co. Ltd]

Dated: July 20, 2011ex4_03.htm

Exhibit 4.03

 

 

SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

TO

 

[________________________________________]

 

Trustee

 

 

 

Indenture

 

Dated as of [__________], 2011

 

 

 

This Instrument Grants A Security Interest By A Utility.

 

This Instrument Contains After-Acquired Property Provisions.

  

  

  

 

	
 SOUTHWESTERNPUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

	

Reconciliationand Tie between Trust Indenture Act of 1939

	
   and   Indenture, dated as of [                      ], 2011     

 

	Trust Indenture Act Section	 	Indenture Section(s)
	 	 	 
	
§310(a)

	
(1)

	
1009

	
(a)

	
(2)

	
1009

	
(a)

	
(3)

	
1014(b)

	
(a)

	
(4)

	
Not Applicable

	
(b)

	  	
1008, 1010

	
§311(a)

	  	
1013

	
(b)

	  	
1013

	
§312(a)

	  	
1101

	
(b)

	  	
1101

	
(c)

	  	
1101

	
§313(a)

	  	
1102

	
(b)

	  	
1102

	
(c)

	  	
1102

	
(d)

	  	
1102

	
§314(a)

	  	
1102, 610

	
(b)

	  	
608

	
(c)

	
(1)

	
105

	
(c)

	
(2)

	
105

	
(c)

	
(3)

	
103

	
(d)

	  	
703, 704, 709

	
(e)

	  	
105

	
§315(a)

	  	
1001, 1003

	
(b)

	  	
1002

	
(c)

	  	
1001

	
(d)

	  	
1001

	
(e)

	  	
918

	
§316(a)

	  	
916,917

	
(a)

	
(1)(A)

	
902, 916

	
(a)

	
(1)(B)

	
917

	
(a)

	
(2)

	
Not Applicable

	
(b)

	  	
912

	
§317(a)

	
(1)

	
906

	
(a)

	
(2)

	
909

	
(b)

	  	
603

	
§318(a)

	  	
110

 

  

- i -

  

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

	 	   	   	 Page 
	 Recital of the Company 	
 1 

	   	    	    	    
	 Granting Clauses 	
 1 

	   	    	    	    
	 ARTICLE ONE Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application 	
 6 

	   	    	    	    
	   	
 SECTION 101. 

	
 General Definitions 

	
 6 

	   	    	
 Accountant 

	
 6 

	   	    	
 Acquired Facility 

	
 6 

	   	    	
 Acquisition Lien 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Act 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Adjusted Net Earnings 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Affiliate 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Annual Interest Requirements 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Authenticating Agent 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Authorized Officer 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Authorized Publication 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Authorized Purposes 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Board of Directors 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Board Resolution 

	
 7 

	   	    	
 Business Day 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Commission 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Company 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Company Request or Company Order 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Corporate Trust Office 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 corporation 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Cost 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Defaulted Interest 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Discount Security 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Dollar or $ 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Effective Date 

	
 8 

	   	    	
 Electric Utility Business 

	
 9 

	   	    	
 Eligible Obligations 

	
 9 

	   	   	 Equity Interests  	 9 
	   	    	
 Event of Default 

	
 9 

	   	    	
 Excepted Property 

	
 9 

	   	    	
 Existing Lien 

	
 9 

	   	    	
 Expert 

	
 9 

	   	    	
 Expert’s Certificate 

	
 9 

	   	    	
 Fair Value 

	
 9 

	   	    	
 Funded Cash 

	
 10 

	   	    	
 Funded Property 

	
 10 

	   	    	
 Governmental Authority 

	
 10 

	   	    	
 Government Obligations 

	
 10 

 

  

- ii -

  

 

	 	  	
Holder

	
10

	 	  	
Indenture

	
10

	 	  	
Independent

	
10

	 	  	
Independent Expert’s Certificate

	
11

	 	  	
Interest Payment Date

	
11

	 	  	
Investment Securities

	
11

	 	  	
Lien

	
11

	 	  	
Maturity

	
12

	 	  	
Mortgaged Property

	
12

	 	  	
Net Earnings Certificate

	
12

	 	  	
Officer’s Certificate

	
12

	 	  	
Opinion of Counsel

	
12

	 	  	
Outstanding

	
12

	 	  	
Paying Agent

	
13

	 	  	
Periodic Offering

	
14

	 	  	
Permitted Liens

	
14

	 	  	
Person

	
17

	 	  	
Place of Payment

	
17

	 	  	
Predecessor Security

	
17

	 	  	
Prepaid Lien

	
17

	 	  	
Property Additions

	
18

	 	  	
Purchase Money Lien

	
18

	 	  	
Redemption Date

	
18

	 	  	
Redemption Price

	
18

	 	  	
Regular Record Date

	
18

	 	  	
Required Currency

	
18

	 	  	
Responsible Officer

	
18

	 	  	
Retained Interests

	
18

	 	  	
Retired Securities

	
18

	 	  	
Securities

	
19

	 	  	
Security Register and Security Registrar

	
19

	 	  	
Special Record Date

	
19

	 	  	
Stated Interest Rate

	
19

	 	  	
Stated Maturity

	
19

	 	  	
Successor Corporation

	
19

	 	  	
Tranche

	
19

	 	  	
Trust Indenture Act

	
19

	 	  	
Trustee

	
19

	 	  	
Uniform Commercial Code

	
19

	 	  	
United States

	
19

	 	
SECTION 102.

	
Funded Property; Funded Cash

	
20

	 	
SECTION 103.

	
Net Earnings Certificate; Adjusted Net Earnings; Annual Interest Requirements

	
21

	 	
SECTION 104.

	
Property Additions; Cost

	
24

	 	
SECTION 105.

	
Compliance Certificates and Opinions

	
26

	 	
SECTION 106.

	
Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee

	
26

 

  

- iii -

  

 

	 	
 SECTION 107. 

	
 Acts of Holders 

	
 28 

	   	
 SECTION 108. 

	
 Notices, Etc. to Trustee and Company 

	
 30 

	   	
 SECTION 109. 

	
 Notice to Holders of Securities; Waiver 

	
 31 

	   	
 SECTION 110. 

	
 Conflict with Trust Indenture Act 

	
 31 

	   	
 SECTION 111. 

	
 Effect of Headings and Table of Contents 

	
 31 

	   	
 SECTION 112. 

	
 Successors and Assigns 

	
 32 

	   	
 SECTION 113. 

	
 Separability Clause 

	
 32 

	   	
 SECTION 114. 

	
 Benefits of Indenture 

	
 32 

	   	
 SECTION 115. 

	
 Governing Law 

	
 32 

	   	
 SECTION 116. 

	
 Legal Holidays 

	
 32 

	   	
 SECTION 117. 

	
 Investment of Cash Held by Trustee 

	
 32 

	   	
 SECTION 118. 

	
 “Utility”; “Utility Security Instrument”; “Utility Security Interest” 

	
 33 

	   	
 SECTION 119. 

	
 Uniform Commercial Code 

	
 33 

	   	    	    	    
	 ARTICLE TWO Security Forms 	
 33 

	   	    	    	    
	   	
 SECTION 201. 

	
 Forms Generally 

	
 33 

	   	
 SECTION 202. 

	
 Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication 

	
 34 

	   	    	    	    
	 ARTICLE THREE The Securities 	
 34 

	   	    	    	    
	   	
 SECTION 301. 

	
 Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series 

	
 34 

	   	
 SECTION 302. 

	
 Denominations 

	
 38 

	   	
 SECTION 303. 

	
 Execution, Dating, Certificate of Authentication 

	
 38 

	   	
 SECTION 304. 

	
 Temporary Securities 

	
 39 

	   	
 SECTION 305. 

	
 Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange 

	
 40 

	   	
 SECTION 306. 

	
 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities 

	
 41 

	   	
 SECTION 307. 

	
 Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved 

	
 42 

	   	
 SECTION 308. 

	
 Persons Deemed Owners 

	
 43 

	   	
 SECTION 309. 

	
 Cancellation by Security Registrar 

	
 43 

	   	
 SECTION 310. 

	
 Computation of Interest 

	
 43 

	   	
 SECTION 311. 

	
 Payment to Be in Proper Currency 

	
 44 

	   	
 SECTION 312. 

	
 Extension of Maturity and/or Interest Payment 

	
 44 

	   	
 SECTION 313. 

	
 CUSIP Numbers 

	
 44 

	   	    	    	    
	 ARTICLE FOUR Issuance of Securities 	
 45 

	   	    	    	    
	   	
 SECTION 401. 

	
 General 

	
 45 

	   	
 SECTION 402. 

	
 Issuance of Securities on the Basis of Property Additions 

	
 47 

	   	
 SECTION 403. 

	
 Issuance of Securities on the Basis of Retired Securities 

	
 50 

	   	
 SECTION 404. 

	
 Issuance of Securities on the Basis of Deposit of Cash 

	
 50 

	   	    	    	    
	 ARTICLE FIVE Redemption of Securities 	
 51 

	   	    	    	    
	   	
 SECTION 501. 

	
 Applicability of Article 

	
 51 

 

  

- iv -

  

 

	 	
SECTION 502.

	
Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee

	
51

	 	
SECTION 503.

	
Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed

	
51

	 	
SECTION 504.

	
Notice of Redemption

	
52

	 	
SECTION 505.

	
Securities Payable on Redemption Date

	
53

	 	
SECTION 506.

	
Securities Redeemed in Part

	
53

	 	  	  	  
	ARTICLE SIX	
Covenants

	
54

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 601.

	
Payment of Securities; Lawful Possession; Maintenance of Lien

	
54

	 	
SECTION 602.

	
Maintenance of Office or Agency

	
54

	 	
SECTION 603.

	
Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust

	
55

	 	
SECTION 604.

	
Corporate Existence

	
56

	 	
SECTION 605.

	
Maintenance of Properties

	
56

	 	
SECTION 606.

	
Payment of Taxes; Discharge of Liens

	
56

	 	
SECTION 607.

	
Insurance

	
57

	 	
SECTION 608.

	
Recording, Filing, etc.

	
60

	 	
SECTION 609.

	
Waiver of Certain Covenants

	
61

	 	
SECTION 610.

	
Annual Officer’s Certificate as to Compliance

	
62

	 	  	  	  
	ARTICLE SEVEN	
Possession, Use and Release of Mortgaged Property

	
62

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 701.

	
Quiet Enjoyment

	
62

	 	
SECTION 702.

	
Dispositions without Release

	
62

	 	
SECTION 703.

	
Release of Funded Property

	
63

	 	
SECTION 704.

	
Release of Property Not Constituting Funded Property

	
67

	 	
SECTION 705.

	
Release of Minor Properties

	
68

	 	
SECTION 706.

	
Withdrawal or Other Application of Funded Cash; Purchase Money Obligations

	
69

	 	
SECTION 707.

	
Release of Property Taken by Eminent Domain, etc.

	
71

	 	
SECTION 708.

	
Disclaimer or Quitclaim

	
72

	 	
SECTION 709.

	
Miscellaneous

	
72

	 	
SECTION 710.

	
Certain Acquisition Liens

	
73

	 	  	  	  
	ARTICLE EIGHT	
Satisfaction and Discharge

	
74

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 801.

	
Satisfaction and Discharge of Securities

	
74

	 	
SECTION 802.

	
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture

	
76

	 	
SECTION 803.

	
Application of Trust Money

	
77

	 	  	  	  
	ARTICLE NINE	
Events of Default; Remedies

	
77

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 901.

	
Events of Default

	
77

	 	
SECTION 902.

	
Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment

	
78

	 	
SECTION 903.

	
Entry Upon Mortgaged Property

	
80

	 	
SECTION 904.

	
Power of Sale; Suits for Enforcement

	
80

	 	
SECTION 905.

	
Incidents of Sale

	
81

	 	
SECTION 906.

	
Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee

	
83

 

  

- v -

  

 

	 	
SECTION 907.

	
Application of Money Collected

	
83

	 	
SECTION 908.

	
Receiver

	
84

	 	
SECTION 909.

	
Trustee May File Proofs of Claim

	
84

	 	
SECTION 910.

	
Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities

	
85

	 	
SECTION 911.

	
Limitation on Suits

	
85

	 	
SECTION 912.

	
Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest

	
86

	 	
SECTION 913.

	
Restoration of Rights and Remedies

	
86

	 	
SECTION 914.

	
Rights and Remedies Cumulative

	
86

	 	
SECTION 915.

	
Delay or Omission Not Waiver

	
86

	 	
SECTION 916.

	
Control by Holders of Securities

	
87

	 	
SECTION 917.

	
Waiver of Past Defaults

	
87

	 	
SECTION 918.

	
Undertaking for Costs

	
87

	 	
SECTION 919.

	
Waiver of Appraisement and Other Laws

	
88

	 	  	  	  
	ARTICLE TEN The Trustee	
88

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 1001.

	
Certain Duties and Responsibilities

	
88

	 	
SECTION 1002.

	
Notice of Defaults

	
89

	 	
SECTION 1003.

	
Certain Rights of Trustee

	
89

	 	
SECTION 1004.

	
Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities

	
91

	 	
SECTION 1005.

	
May Hold Securities

	
91

	 	
SECTION 1006.

	
Money Held in Trust

	
91

	 	
SECTION 1007.

	
Compensation and Reimbursement

	
91

	 	
SECTION 1008.

	
Disqualification; Conflicting Interests

	
92

	 	
SECTION 1009.

	
Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility

	
93

	 	
SECTION 1010.

	
Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor

	
93

	 	
SECTION 1011.

	
Acceptance of Appointment by Successor

	
95

	 	
SECTION 1012.

	
Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business

	
95

	 	
SECTION 1013.

	
Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company

	
95

	 	
SECTION 1014.

	
Co-trustees and Separate Trustees

	
96

	 	
SECTION 1015.

	
Appointment of Authenticating Agent

	
97

	 	  	  	  
	ARTICLE ELEVEN Lists of Holders; Reports by Trustee and Company	
99

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 1101.

	
Lists of Holders

	
99

	 	
SECTION 1102.

	
Reports by Trustee and Company

	
99

	 	  	  	  
	ARTICLE TWELVE Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance or Other Transfer	
100

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 1201.

	
Company may Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms

	
100

	 	
SECTION 1202.

	
Successor Corporation Substituted

	
101

	 	
SECTION 1203.

	
Extent of Lien Hereof on Property of Successor Corporation

	
102

	 	
SECTION 1204.

	
Release of Company upon Conveyance or Other Transfer

	
102

	 	
SECTION 1205.

	
Merger into Company; Extent of Lien Hereof

	
102

 

  

- vi -

  

 

	ARTICLE THIRTEEN Supplemental Indentures	
103

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 1301.

	
Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders

	
103

	 	
SECTION 1302.

	
Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders

	
105

	 	
SECTION 1303.

	
Execution of Supplemental Indentures

	
107

	 	
SECTION 1304.

	
Effect of Supplemental Indentures

	
107

	 	
SECTION 1305.

	
Conformity With Trust Indenture Act

	
107

	 	
SECTION 1306.

	
Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures

	
107

	 	  	  	  
	ARTICLE FOURTEEN Meetings of Holders; Action Without Meeting	
108

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 1401.

	
Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called

	
108

	 	
SECTION 1402.

	
Call, Notice and Place of Meetings

	
108

	 	
SECTION 1403.

	
Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings

	
109

	 	
SECTION 1404.

	
Quorum; Action

	
109

	 	
SECTION 1405.

	
Attendance at Meetings; Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings

	
110

	 	
SECTION 1406.

	
Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings

	
111

	 	
SECTION 1407.

	
Action Without Meeting

	
111

	 	  	  	  
	ARTICLE FIFTEEN Immunity of Incorporators, Stockholders, Officers and Directors	
111

	 	  	  	  
	 	
SECTION 1501.

	
Liability Solely Corporate

	
111

	Signatures	  	
116

	Acknowledgments	  	
117

	Exhibit A	  	
A-1

 

  

- vii -

  

INDENTURE, dated as of [_________], 2011, between SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of New Mexico (herein called the “Company”), and [_______________________], a [_______________________], Trustee.

 

Recital of the Company

 

The Company has duly authorized the execution and delivery of this Indenture to provide for the issuance from time to time of its bonds, notes or other evidences of indebtedness (herein called the “Securities”), to be issued in one or more series as contemplated herein, and to provide security for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities; and all acts necessary to make this Indenture a valid agreement of the Company have been performed.  For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided herein or unless the context otherwise requires, capitalized terms used herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in Article One of this Indenture.

 

Granting Clauses

 

NOW, THEREFORE, THIS INDENTURE WITNESSETH, that, in consideration of the premises and of the purchase of the Securities by the Holders thereof, and in order to secure the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all Securities from time to time Outstanding and the performance of the covenants therein and herein contained and to declare the terms and conditions on which such Securities are secured, the Company hereby grants, bargains, sells, releases, conveys, assigns, transfers, mortgages, pledges, sets over and confirms to the Trustee, in trust, and grants to the Trustee a security interest in and lien on, the following (subject, however, to the terms and conditions set forth in this Indenture):

 

Granting Clause First

 

All right, title and interest of the Company, as of the Effective Date (as hereinafter defined), in and to all property (other than Excepted Property, as hereinafter defined), real, personal and mixed, located in the State of Texas or in the State of New Mexico and used or intended to be used in or in connection with the Electric Utility Business (whether or not such use is the sole use of such property), including all right, title and interest of the Company in and to the following property (other than Excepted Property) so located and so used or intended to be used:  (a) all real property owned in fee, easements, servitudes, rights of way and other rights and interests in or relating to real property used or intended to be used in or in connection with the Electric Utility Business or relating to the occupancy or use of such real property, including but not limited to that described on Exhibit A to this Indenture; (b) all plants, generators, turbines, engines, boilers, fuel handling and transportation facilities, air and water pollution control and sewage and solid waste disposal facilities, whether or not control or disposal of such substances is the exclusive function or purpose of such facilities, and other machinery and facilities for the generation of electric energy; (c) all switchyards, lines, towers, substations, transformers and other machinery and facilities for the transmission of electric energy; (d) all lines, poles, conduits, conductors, meters, regulators and other machinery and facilities for the distribution of electric energy; (e) all buildings, offices, warehouses and other structures used or intended to be used in or in connection with the Electric Utility Business; (f) all pipes, cables, insulators, ducts, tools, computers and other data processing and/or storage equipment and other equipment, apparatus and facilities used or intended to be used in or in connection with the Electric Utility Business; (g) any or all of the foregoing properties in the process of construction; and (h) all other property, of whatever kind and nature, ancillary to or otherwise used or intended to be used in conjunction with any or all of the foregoing or otherwise, directly or indirectly, in furtherance of the Electric Utility Business;

 

  

  

  

 

Granting Clause Second

 

Subject to the applicable exceptions permitted by Section 709(d), Section 1203 and Section 1205, all right, title and interest of the Company in and to all property (other than Excepted Property) of the kind and nature described in Granting Clause First which may be hereafter acquired by the Company, it being the intention of the Company that all such property acquired by the Company after the Effective Date shall be as fully embraced within and subjected to the Lien hereof as if such property were owned by the Company as of the Effective Date;

 

Granting Clause Third

 

 Any Excepted Property that may from time to time after the Effective Date, by delivery or by an instrument supplemental to this Indenture, be subjected to the Lien hereof by the Company, the Trustee being hereby authorized to receive the same at any time as additional security hereunder; it being understood that any such subjection to the Lien hereof of any Excepted Property as additional security may be made subject to such reservations, limitations or conditions respecting the extent to which such property will be included in the Mortgaged Property and the use and disposition of such property or the proceeds thereof as shall be set forth in such instrument; and 

 

Granting Clause Fourth

 

All other property of whatever kind and nature subjected or required to be subjected to the Lien of this Indenture by any of the provisions hereof;

 

Excepted Property

 

Expressly excepting and excluding, however, from the Lien of this Indenture all right, title and interest of the Company in and to the following property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired (herein sometimes called “Excepted Property”):

 

(a)           all money, investment property and deposit accounts (as such terms are defined in the Uniform Commercial Code), and all cash on hand or on deposit in banks or other financial institutions, shares of stock, interests in business trusts, general or limited partnerships or limited liability companies, bonds, notes, other evidences of indebtedness and other securities, of whatever kind and nature, in each case to the extent not hereafter paid or delivered to, deposited with or held by the Trustee hereunder;

 

  

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 (b)           all accounts, chattel paper, commercial tort claims, documents, general intangibles, instruments, letter-of-credit rights and letters of credit (as such terms are defined in the Uniform Commercial Code); all contracts, leases, operating agreements and other agreements of whatever kind and nature; all contract rights, bills and notes (except to the extent that any of the same constitute investment property, in which case they are separately excepted from the Lien of this Indenture under clause (a) above); all revenues, income and earnings, all accounts receivable, rights to payment and unbilled revenues, all rents, tolls, issues, product and profits, claims, credits, demands and judgments, including any rights in or to rates, revenue components, charges, tariffs or amounts arising therefrom, or in any amounts that are accrued and recorded in a regulatory account for collections by the Company; all governmental and other licenses, permits, franchises, consents and allowances, including all emission allowances (or similar rights) created under any similar existing or future law relating to abatement or control of pollution of the atmosphere, water or soil; and all patents, patent licenses and other patent rights, patent applications, trade names, trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property, including computer software and software licenses; and all claims, credits, choses in action and other intangible property; 

 

(c)           all automobiles, buses, trucks, truck cranes, tractors, trailers, motor vehicles and similar vehicles and movable equipment; all rolling stock, rail cars and other railroad equipment; all vessels, boats, barges and other marine equipment; all airplanes, helicopters, aircraft engines and other flight equipment; and all parts, accessories and supplies used in connection with any of the foregoing;

 

 (d)           all inventory and all other goods, stock in trade, wares and merchandise held for the purpose of sale or lease in the ordinary course of business; all materials, supplies and other items of personal property which are consumable (otherwise than by ordinary wear and tear) in their use in the operation of the Mortgaged Property; all fuel, including nuclear fuel, whether or not any such fuel is in a form consumable in the operation of the Mortgaged Property, including separate components of any fuel in the forms in which such components exist at any time before, during or after the period of the use thereof as fuel; all hand and other portable tools and equipment; all furniture and furnishings; and all computers, machinery and telecommunication and other equipment used exclusively for corporate administrative or clerical purposes; 

 

(e)           all personal property of such character that the perfection of a security interest therein is not governed by the Uniform Commercial Code;

 

  

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(f)            all coal, lignite, ore, gas, oil and other minerals and mineral materials including sand, clay, caliche, gravel, stone, scoria and pumice, and all timber, and all rights and interests in any of the foregoing, whether or not such minerals, mineral materials or timber shall have been mined or extracted or otherwise separated from the land; and all electric energy and capacity, gas (natural or artificial), steam, water and other products generated, produced, manufactured, purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company;

 

(g)           all property which is the subject of a lease agreement designating the Company as lessee and all right, title and interest of the Company in and to such property and in, to and under such lease agreement, whether or not such lease agreement is intended as security;

 

(h)           all property, real, personal and mixed, which subsequent to the Effective Date, has been released from the Lien of this Indenture, and any improvements, extensions and additions to such properties and renewals, replacements and substitutions of or for any parts thereof;

 

(i)            all proceeds (as such term is defined in the Uniform Commercial Code) of the foregoing;

 

(j)            all property, real, personal and mixed, which is:

 

(i)           located neither in the State of Texas nor in the State of New Mexico;

 

(ii)          not specifically described or referred to in the Granting Clauses of this Indenture; and

 

(iii)         not specifically subjected or required to be subjected to the Lien of this Indenture by any provision hereof; and

 

(k)           all property not used by the Company in the Electric Utility Business;

 

provided, however, that (x) if, at any time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Trustee, or any separate trustee or co-trustee appointed under Section 1014 or any receiver appointed pursuant to statutory provision or order of court, shall have entered into possession of all or substantially all of the Mortgaged Property, all the Excepted Property described or referred to in the foregoing clauses (c), (d) and (g), then owned or held or thereafter acquired by the Company, to the extent that the same is used in connection with, or otherwise relates or is attributable to, the Mortgaged Property, shall immediately, or, in the case of any Excepted Property described or referred to in clause (g), upon demand of the Trustee or such other trustee or receiver, become subject to the Lien of this Indenture to the extent not prohibited by law or by the terms of any other Lien at that time existing on such Excepted Property, junior and subordinate to any Liens at that time existing on such Excepted Property, and the Trustee or such other trustee or receiver may, to the extent not prohibited by law or by the terms of such other Lien (and subject to the rights of the holders of all such other Liens), at the same time likewise take possession thereof, and (y) whenever the possession of all or substantially all of the Mortgaged Property shall have been restored to the Company as provided in Section 903, such Excepted Property shall again be excepted and excluded from the Lien hereof to the extent set forth above; it being understood that the Company may, however, pursuant to Granting Clause Third, subject to the Lien of this Indenture any Excepted Property, whereupon the same shall cease to be Excepted Property;

 

  

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TO HAVE AND TO HOLD all such property, real, personal and mixed, unto the Trustee, its successors in trust and their assigns forever;

 

SUBJECT, HOWEVER, to (a) Liens existing at the Effective Date (“Existing Liens”), (b) as to property acquired by the Company after the Effective Date (including by way of merger or consolidation), Liens existing or placed thereon at the time of the acquisition thereof, including, but not limited to, Purchase Money Liens (“Acquisition Liens”), (c) with respect to any property, real, personal or mixed, which is, at the Effective Date, used or intended to be used in or in connection with both (i) the Electric Utility Business and (ii) any other business or businesses, or is hereafter acquired for or dedicated to such common use, such non-exclusive rights and interests in and to such property, which are hereby retained by the Company and reserved to the Company and its successors and their assigns forever, as shall be requisite to, and commensurate with, the use of such property in or in connection with such other business and as shall not impair in any material respect the use of such property in or in connection with the business or businesses in which the Mortgaged Property is used, including, but not limited to, in the case of real property, the right to place or retain thereon or thereunder all apparatus, equipment, facilities and other property (including fixtures), of whatever kind and nature, necessary, desirable or appropriate for the conduct of such other business or businesses and the right to enter and remain upon such real property for the purpose of operating, maintaining, repairing, renewing, replacing, improving, storing and/or removing any and all such apparatus, equipment, facilities and other property (such non-exclusive rights and interests, so retained and reserved, being hereinafter called “Retained Interests”), and (d) any other Permitted Liens;

 

IN TRUST, NEVERTHELESS, for the equal and ratable benefit and security of the Holders from time to time of all Outstanding Securities without any priority of any such Security over any other such Security;

 

PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that the right, title and interest of the Trustee in and to the Mortgaged Property shall cease, terminate and become void upon satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture in accordance with, and subject to the conditions set forth in, Article Eight hereof; otherwise this Indenture, and the estate and rights hereby granted, shall be and remain in full force and effect; and

 

IT IS HEREBY COVENANTED AND AGREED by and between the Company and the Trustee that all the Securities are to be authenticated and delivered, and that the Mortgaged Property is to be held, subject to the further covenants, conditions and trusts hereinafter set forth, and the Company hereby covenants and agrees to and with the Trustee, for the equal and ratable benefit of all Holders of the Securities, as follows:

 

  

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ARTICLE ONE

 

Definitions and Other Provisions of General Application

 

SECTION 101.        General Definitions.

 

For all purposes of this Indenture, except as otherwise expressly provided or unless the context otherwise requires:

 

(a)           the terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in this Article and include the plural as well as the singular;

 

(b)           all terms used herein without definition which are defined in the Trust Indenture Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them therein;

 

(c)           all accounting terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States; and, except as otherwise herein expressly provided, the term “generally accepted accounting principles” with respect to any computation required or permitted hereunder shall mean such accounting principles as are generally accepted in the United States at the date of such computation or, at the election of the Company from time to time, at the date of the execution and delivery of this Indenture; provided, however, that in determining generally accepted accounting principles applicable to the Company, effect shall be given, to the extent required, to any order, rule or regulation of any administrative agency, regulatory authority or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company; and

 

(d)           the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Indenture as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.

 

“Accountant” means a Person engaged in the accounting profession or otherwise qualified to pass on accounting matters (including, but not limited to, a Person certified or licensed as a public accountant, whether or not then engaged in the public accounting profession), which Person, unless required to be Independent, may be an employee or Affiliate of the Company.

 

“Acquired Facility” means any property which, within six (6) months prior to the date of its acquisition by the Company, has been used or operated by a Person or Persons other than the Company in a business similar to that in which such property has been or is to be used or operated by the Company.

 

  

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“Acquisition Lien” has the meaning specified in the paragraph following the Habendum of this Indenture.

 

“Act”, when used with respect to any Holder of a Security, has the meaning specified in Section 107.

 

“Adjusted Net Earnings” has the meaning specified in Section 103.

 

“Affiliate” of any specified Person means any other Person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with such specified Person.  For the purposes of this definition, “control” when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to direct generally the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

 

“Annual Interest Requirements” has the meaning specified in Section 103.

 

“Authenticating Agent” means any Person (other than the Company or an Affiliate of the Company) authorized by the Trustee to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate one or more series of Securities.

 

“Authorized Officer” means the Chairman of the Board, the President, any Vice President, the Treasurer or the Corporate Secretary or any other duly authorized officer, agent or attorney-in-fact of the Company named in an Officer’s Certificate signed by any of such corporate officers.

 

“Authorized Publication” means a newspaper or financial journal of general circulation, printed in the English language and customarily published on each Business Day, whether or not published on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays; or, in the alternative, shall mean such form of communication as may have come into general use for the dissemination of information of import similar to that of the information specified to be published by the provisions hereof.  In the event that successive weekly publications in an Authorized Publication are required hereunder they may be made (unless otherwise expressly provided herein) on the same or different days of the week and in the same or in different Authorized Publications.  In case, by reason of the suspension of publication of any Authorized Publication, or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impractical without unreasonable expense to make publication of any notice in an Authorized Publication as required by this Indenture, then such method of publication or notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall be deemed the equivalent of the required publication of such notice in an Authorized Publication.

 

“Authorized Purposes” means the authentication and delivery of Securities, the release of property and/or the withdrawal of cash under any of the provisions of this Indenture.

 

“Board of Directors” means either the board of directors of the Company or any committee thereof duly authorized to act in respect of matters relating to this Indenture.

 

“Board Resolution” means a copy of a resolution certified by the Corporate Secretary or an Assistant Corporate Secretary of the Company to have been duly adopted by the Board of Directors and to be in full force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Trustee.

 

  

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“Business Day”, when used with respect to a Place of Payment or any other particular location specified in the Securities or this Indenture, means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, which is not a day on which banking institutions or trust companies in such Place of Payment or other location are generally authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed, except as may be otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301.

 

“Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to time constituted, created under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or, if at any time after the date of the execution and delivery of this Indenture such Commission is not existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture Act, then the body, if any, performing such duties at such time.

 

“Company” means the Person named as the “Company” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor Person shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Company” shall mean such successor Person.

 

“Company Request” or “Company Order” means a written request or order signed in the name of the Company by an Authorized Officer and delivered to the Trustee.

 

“Corporate Trust Office” means the office of the Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business shall be principally administered, which office at the date of the execution and delivery of this Indenture is located at [_____________________].

 

 “  corporation” means a corporation, association, limited liability company, partnership, joint stock company or business trust, and references to “corporate” and other derivations of “corporation” herein shall be deemed to include appropriate derivations of such entities. 

 

“Cost” with respect to Property Additions has the meaning specified in Section 104.

 

“Defaulted Interest” has the meaning specified in Section 307.

 

“Discount Security” means any Security which provides for an amount less than the principal amount thereof to be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 902 and “interest” with respect to a Discount Security means interest, if any, borne by such Security at a Stated Interest Rate.

 

“Dollar” or “$” means a dollar or other equivalent unit in such coin or currency of the United States as at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debts.

 

“Effective Date” means the date set forth on the first substantive page of this Indenture as being the date of this Indenture.

 

  

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“Electric Utility Business” means the business of generating, purchasing, transmitting, distributing and/or selling electric energy.

 

“Eligible Obligations” means:

 

(a)           with respect to Securities denominated in Dollars, Government Obligations; or

 

(b)           with respect to Securities denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency, such other obligations or instruments as shall be specified with respect to such Securities as contemplated by Section 301.

 

 “Equity Interests” means, with respect to any corporation engaged in the Electric Utility Business or in activities that are related, ancillary or complimentary to the Electric Utility Business, any and all shares, interests, participations or other equivalents (however designated, and whether voting or non-voting) in the equity of such corporation, whether outstanding on the Effective Date or issued thereafter, including without limitation common stock and preferred stock. 

 

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 901.

 

“Excepted Property” has the meaning specified in the granting clauses of this Indenture.

 

“Existing Lien” has the meaning specified in the paragraph following the Habendum of this Indenture.

 

“Expert” means a Person that is an engineer, appraiser, Accountant or other expert and which, with respect to any certificate to be signed by such Person and delivered to the Trustee, is qualified to pass upon the matters set forth in such certificate.  For purposes of this definition, (a) “engineer” means a Person engaged in the engineering profession or otherwise qualified to pass upon engineering matters (including, but not limited to, a Person licensed as a professional engineer, whether or not then engaged in the engineering profession) and (b) “appraiser” means a Person engaged in the business of appraising property or otherwise qualified to pass upon the Fair Value or fair market value of property.

 

“Expert’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by an Authorized Officer and by an Expert (which Expert (a) shall be selected either by the Board of Directors or by an Authorized Officer, the execution of such certificate by such Authorized Officer to be conclusive evidence of such selection, and (b) except as otherwise required in Sections 402, 607 and 709, may be an employee or Affiliate of the Company duly authorized either by the Board of Directors or by an Authorized Officer) and delivered to the Trustee.  The amount stated in any Expert’s Certificate as to the Cost, Fair Value or fair market value of property shall be conclusive and binding upon the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities.

 

“Fair Value”, with respect to property, means the fair value of such property as may be determined by reference to (a) the amount which would be likely to be obtained in an arm’s-length transaction with respect to such property between an informed and willing buyer and an informed and willing seller, under no compulsion, respectively, to buy or sell, (b) the amount of investment with respect to such property which, together with a reasonable return thereon, would be likely to be recovered through ordinary business operations or otherwise, (c) the Cost, accumulated depreciation and replacement cost with respect to such property and/or (d) any other relevant factors; provided, however, that (x) the Fair Value of property shall be determined without deduction for any Liens on such property prior to the Lien of this Indenture (except as otherwise provided in Section 703) and (y) the Fair Value to the Company of Property Additions shall not reflect any reduction relating to the fact that such Property Additions may be of less value to a Person that is not the owner or operator of the Mortgaged Property or any portion thereof than to a Person that is such owner or operator.  Fair Value may be determined, without physical inspection, by the use of accounting and engineering records and other data maintained by the Company or otherwise available to the Expert certifying the same.

 

  

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“Funded Cash” has the meaning specified in Section 102.

 

“Funded Property” has the meaning specified in Section 102.

 

“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or of any State or Territory thereof or of the District of Columbia or of any county, municipality or other political subdivision of any thereof, or any department, agency, authority or other instrumentality of any of the foregoing.

 

“Government Obligations” means:

 

(a)           direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, the United States entitled to the benefit of the full faith and credit thereof; and

 

(b)           certificates, depositary receipts or other instruments which evidence a direct ownership interest in obligations described in clause (a) above or in any specific interest or principal payments due in respect thereof; provided, however, that the custodian of such obligations or specific interest or principal payments shall be a bank or trust company (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) subject to Federal or State supervision or examination with a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000; and provided, further, that except as may be otherwise required by law, such custodian shall be obligated to pay to the holders of such certificates, depositary receipts or other instruments the full amount received by such custodian in respect of such obligations or specific payments and shall not be permitted to make any deduction therefrom.

 

“Holder” means a Person in whose name a Security is registered in the Security Register.

 

“Indenture” means this instrument as originally executed and delivered and as it may from time to time be supplemented or amended by one or more indentures supplemental hereto entered into pursuant to the applicable provisions hereof and shall include the terms of particular series of Securities established as contemplated by Section 301.

 

“Independent”, when applied to any Accountant or Expert, means such a Person who (a) is in fact independent, (b) does not have any direct material financial interest in the Company or in any other obligor upon the Securities or in any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor, (c) is not connected with the Company or such other obligor as an officer, employee, promoter, underwriter, trustee, partner, director or any person performing similar functions and (d) is approved by the Trustee in the exercise of reasonable care.

 

  

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“Independent Expert’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by an Independent Expert and delivered to the Trustee.

 

“Interest Payment Date”, when used with respect to any Security, means the Stated Maturity of an installment of interest on such Security.

 

“Investment Securities” means any of the following obligations or securities on which neither the Company, any other obligor on the Securities nor any Affiliate of either is the obligor: (a) Government Obligations; (b) interest bearing deposit accounts (which may be represented by certificates of deposit) in any national or state bank (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) or savings and loan association which has outstanding securities rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short-term securities or in any of the three highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long-term securities; (c) bankers’ acceptances drawn on and accepted by any commercial bank (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) which has outstanding securities rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short-term securities or in any of the three highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long-term securities; (d) direct obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are unconditionally guaranteed by, any State or Territory of the United States or the District of Columbia, or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing, which are rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short-term securities or in any of the three highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long-term securities; (e) bonds or other obligations of any agency or instrumentality of the United States; (f) corporate debt securities which are rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short-term securities or in any of the three highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long-term securities; (g) repurchase agreements with respect to any of the foregoing obligations or securities with any banking or financial institution (which may include the Trustee or any Paying Agent) which has outstanding securities rated by a nationally recognized rating organization in either of the two highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for short-term securities or in any of the three highest rating categories (without regard to modifiers) for long-term securities; (h) securities issued by any regulated investment company (including any investment company for which the Trustee or any Paying Agent is the advisor), as defined in Section 851 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or any successor section of such Code or successor federal statute, provided that the portfolio of such investment company is limited to obligations or securities of the character and investment quality contemplated in clauses (a) through (f) above and repurchase agreements which are fully collateralized by any of such obligations or securities; and (i) any other obligations or securities which may lawfully be purchased by the Trustee in its capacity as such.

 

“Lien” means any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, security interest, encumbrance, easement, lease, reservation, restriction, servitude, charge or similar right and any other lien of any kind, including, without limitation, any conditional sale or other title retention agreement and any lease that is treated as a security agreement under the Uniform Commercial Code, and any defect, irregularity, exception or limitation in record title.

 

  

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“Maturity”, when used with respect to any Security, means the date on which the principal of such Security or an installment of principal becomes due and payable as provided in such Security or in this Indenture, whether at the Stated Maturity, by declaration of acceleration, upon call for redemption or otherwise.

 

“Mortgaged Property” means as of any particular time all property which at such time is subject to the Lien of this Indenture.

 

“Net Earnings Certificate” has the meaning specified in Section 103.

 

“Officer’s Certificate” means a certificate signed by an Authorized Officer and delivered to the Trustee.

 

“Opinion of Counsel” means a written opinion of counsel, who may be an employee of or other counsel for the Company, or other counsel reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.

 

“Outstanding”, when used with respect to Securities, means, as of the date of determination, all Securities theretofore authenticated and delivered under this Indenture, except:

 

(a)           Securities theretofore canceled or delivered to the Trustee for cancellation;

 

(b)           Securities deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture in accordance with Section 801 (whether or not the Company’s indebtedness in respect thereof shall be satisfied and discharged for any other purpose); and

 

(c)           Securities which have been paid pursuant to Section 306 or in exchange for or in lieu of which other Securities have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to this Indenture, other than any such Securities in respect of which there shall have been presented to the Trustee proof satisfactory to it and the Company that such Securities are held by a bona fide purchaser or purchasers in whose hands such Securities are valid obligations of the Company;

 

provided, however, that in determining whether or not the Holders of the requisite principal amount of the Securities Outstanding under this Indenture, or the Outstanding Securities of any series or Tranche, have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder or whether or not a quorum is present at a meeting of Holders of Securities,

 

  

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(x)           Securities owned by the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor (unless the Company, such Affiliate or such obligor owns all Securities Outstanding under this Indenture, or all Outstanding Securities of each such series and each such Tranche, as the case may be, determined without regard to this clause (x)) shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver or upon any such determination as to the presence of a quorum, only Securities which the Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded; provided, however, that Securities so owned which have been pledged in good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if it is established to the reasonable satisfaction of the Trustee that the pledgee, and not the Company, any such other obligor or Affiliate of either thereof, has the right so to act with respect to such Securities and that the pledgee is not the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or any Affiliate of the Company or of such other obligor; and provided, further, that in no event shall any Security which shall have been delivered to evidence or secure, in whole or in part, the Company’s obligations in respect of other indebtedness be deemed to be owned by the Company if the principal of such Security is payable, whether at Stated Maturity or upon mandatory redemption, at the same time as the principal of such other indebtedness is payable, whether at Stated Maturity or upon mandatory redemption or acceleration, but only to the extent of such portion of the principal amount of such Security as does not exceed the principal amount of such other indebtedness; and

 

(y)           the principal amount of a Discount Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 902; and

 

(z)           the principal amount of any Security which is denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency that shall be deemed to be Outstanding for such purposes shall be the amount of Dollars which could have been purchased by the principal amount (or, in the case of a Discount Security, the Dollar equivalent on the date determined as set forth below of the amount determined as provided in (y) above) of such currency or composite currency evidenced by such Security, in each such case certified to the Trustee in an Officer’s Certificate, based (i) on the average of the mean of the buying and selling spot rates quoted by three banks which are members of the New York Clearing House Association selected by the Company in effect at 11:00 a.m. (New York time) in The City of New York on the fifth Business Day preceding any such determination or (ii) if on such fifth Business Day it shall not be possible or practicable to obtain such quotations from such three banks, on such other quotations or alternative methods of determination which shall be as consistent as practicable with the method set forth in (i) above;

 

provided, further, that, in the case of any Security the principal of which is payable from time to time without presentment or surrender, the principal amount of such Security that shall be deemed to be Outstanding at any time for all purposes of this Indenture shall be the original principal amount thereof less the aggregate amount of principal thereof theretofore paid.

 

“Paying Agent” means any Person, including the Company, authorized by the  Company to pay the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Securities on behalf of the Company.

 

  

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“Periodic Offering” means an offering of Securities of a series from time to time any or all of the specific terms of which Securities, including without limitation the rate or rates of interest, if any, thereon, the Stated Maturity or Maturities thereof and the redemption provisions, if any, with respect thereto, are to be determined by the Company or its agents from time to time subsequent to the initial request for the authentication and delivery of such Securities, all as contemplated in Section 301 and clause (b) of Section 401.

 

“Permitted Liens” means, at any time, any of the following:

 

(a)           Liens for taxes, assessments and other governmental charges or requirements (i) that are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, or (ii) that are delinquent and are not being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings if adequate security for the payment of such taxes, assessments or other governmental charges or requirements and for any penalties or interest which may reasonably be anticipated from failure to pay the same shall have been given to the Trustee;

 

(b)           mechanics’, workmen’s, repairmen’s, materialmen’s, warehousemen’s and carriers’ Liens and other Liens incident to construction, improvement, repair or maintenance of property; Liens or privileges of any employees of the Company for salary or wages earned but not yet payable; and other Liens, including without limitation Liens for worker’s compensation awards, arising in the ordinary course of business for charges or requirements which are not delinquent or which are being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings;

 

(c)           Liens in respect of attachments, judgments or awards arising out of judicial or administrative proceedings (i) in an amount (after reduction for all insurance with respect to which the insurance company has acknowledged coverage) not exceeding (A) Seventy-Five Million Dollars ($75,000,000) or, if greater, (B) three percent (3%) of the principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding or (ii) with respect to which the Company shall (X) in good faith be prosecuting an appeal or other proceeding for review and with respect to which the Company shall have secured a stay of execution pending such appeal or other proceeding or (Y) have the right to prosecute an appeal or other proceeding for review or (iii) which shall have been vacated or discharged within 30 days after the entry thereof;

 

(d)           easements, encumbrances, leases, reservations or other rights of others in, on, over, and/or across, and laws, regulations and restrictions affecting, and defects, irregularities, deficiencies, exceptions and limitations in title to, the Mortgaged Property or any part thereof; provided, however, that such easements, encumbrances, leases, reservations, rights, laws, regulations, restrictions, defects, irregularities, deficiencies, exceptions and limitations do not in the aggregate materially impair the use by the Company of the Mortgaged Property considered as a whole for the purposes for which it is held by the Company;

 

  

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(e)           defects, irregularities, deficiencies, exceptions and limitations in title to rights-of way and/or to real estate used or intended to be used primarily for right-of-way purposes or held under lease, easement, license or similar right; provided, however, that (i) the Company shall have obtained from the apparent owner or owners of the lands or estates therein covered by any such right-of-way a sufficient right, by the terms of the instrument granting such right-of-way, lease, easement, license or similar right, to the use thereof for the purposes for which the Company acquired the same, or (ii) the Company has power under eminent domain or similar statutes to remove such defects, irregularities or deficiencies, or (iii) such defects, irregularities, deficiencies, exceptions and limitations may be otherwise remedied without undue effort or expense; and defects, irregularities, deficiencies, exceptions and limitations in title to flood lands and flooding rights;

 

(f)           Liens securing tax or other obligations neither created, assumed nor guaranteed by the Company and affecting properties in which the interest of the Company is limited to easements or rights of way, provided that (i) enforcement of such Liens would not materially interfere with the conduct of the Electric Utility Business as normally conducted by the Company, or (ii) the Company has power under eminent domain or similar statutes to protect, reinstate or recreate any affected easements or rights of way despite enforcement of such Liens;

 

(g)           Liens securing indebtedness neither created, assumed nor guaranteed by the Company, nor on account of which it customarily pays interest, existing at the Effective Date or, as to property hereafter acquired, at the time of the acquisition thereof by the Company, upon real estate or rights in or relating to real estate acquired by the Company for the purpose of the transmission or distribution of electric energy, for the purpose of telephonic, telegraphic, radio, wireless or other electronic communication or otherwise for the purpose of obtaining rights-of-way;

 

(h)           leases existing on the Effective Date affecting properties owned by the Company at said date and renewals and extensions thereof; and leases affecting properties owned or acquired by the Company and entered into by the Company after the Effective Date or affecting properties acquired by the Company after the Effective Date, provided such leases (i) have respective terms of not more than ten (10) years (including extensions or renewals at the option of the tenant) or (ii) do not materially impair the use by the Company of such properties;

 

(i)            Liens vested in lessors, licensors or permitters for rent to become due or for other obligations or acts to be performed, the payment of which rent or the performance of which other obligations or acts is required under leases, subleases, licenses or permits, so long as the payment of such rent or the performance of such other obligations or acts is not delinquent or is being contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings;

 

  

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(j)           controls, restrictions, obligations, duties and/or other burdens imposed by federal, state, municipal or other law, or by rules, regulations or orders of Governmental Authorities, upon any property of the Company or the operation or use thereof or upon the Company with respect to any of its property or the operation or use thereof or with respect to any franchise, grant, license, permit or public purpose requirement, or any rights reserved to or otherwise vested in Governmental Authorities to impose any such controls, restrictions, obligations, duties and/or other burdens; rights which Governmental Authorities may have by virtue of franchises, grants, licenses, permits or contracts, or by virtue of law, to purchase, or designate a purchaser of or order the sale of, any property of the Company upon payment of cash or reasonable compensation therefor or to terminate franchises, licenses or other rights or to regulate the property and business of the Company;

 

(k)           Liens required by law or governmental regulations (i) as a condition to the transaction of any business or the exercise of any privilege or license, (ii) to enable the Company to maintain self-insurance or to participate in any funds established to cover any insurance risks, (iii) in connection with workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, social security, any pension or welfare benefit plan or (iv) to share in the privileges or benefits required for companies participating in one or more of the arrangements described in clauses (ii) and (iii) above;

 

(l)            Liens granted by the Company to secure, or to serve in lieu of, surety, stay or appeal bonds;

 

(m)           rights reserved to or vested in others to take or receive any part of any coal, lignite, ore, gas, oil or other minerals or mineral materials including sand, clay, caliche, gravel, stone, scoria and pumice, any timber and/or any electric capacity or energy, gas (natural or artificial), steam, water and any other products, developed, produced, manufactured, generated, purchased or otherwise acquired by the Company or by others on property of the Company;

 

(n)           (i) rights and interests of Persons other than the Company arising out of contracts, agreements and other instruments to which the Company is a party, or by operation of law, and which relate to the common ownership or joint use of property, and (ii) all Liens on the interests of Persons other than the Company in property owned in common or jointly used by such Persons and the Company if and to the extent that the enforcement of such Liens would not adversely affect the interests of the Company in such property in any material respect;

 

(o)           any Liens which have been bonded for the full amount in dispute or for the payment of which other adequate security arrangements have been made;

 

(p)           rights and interests granted pursuant to Section 702(c);

 

  

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(q)           Retained Interests;

 

(r)            Prepaid Liens;

 

(s)           Existing Liens;

 

(t)           Acquisition Liens;

 

(u)           any Lien constituting a renewal, extension or replacement of a Lien constituting a Permitted Lien by virtue of paragraph (s) or (t) of this definition, but only if (i) such Lien is limited to all or a part of the property or assets that was subject to the Lien so renewed, extended or replaced and to improvements thereafter erected on or attached to such property or asset or any property or asset acquired in substitution or replacement thereof and (ii) the principal amount of the obligations secured by such Lien does not exceed the principal amount (or accreted value, in the case of indebtedness issued at a discount) of the obligations secured by the Lien so renewed, extended or replaced plus the amount of accrued and unpaid interest thereon and any premiums and defeasance costs paid to the holders thereof plus reasonable expenses incurred in connection with such renewal, extension or replacement;

 

(v)           Liens granted on air or water pollution control, sewage or solid waste disposal, or other similar facilities (other than Funded Property) of the Company in connection with the issuance of pollution control revenue bonds or in connection with financing the cost of, or the construction, acquisition, improvement, repair or maintenance of, such facilities; and

 

(w)          the lien in favor of the Trustee pursuant to Section 1007.

 

 “  Person” means any individual, corporation, joint venture, trust or unincorporated organization or any Governmental Authority. 

 

“Place of Payment”, when used with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, means the place or places, specified as contemplated by Section 301, at which, subject to Section 602, principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of such series or Tranche are payable.

 

“Predecessor Security” of any particular Security means every previous Security evidencing all or a portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Security; and, for the purposes of this definition, any Security authenticated and delivered under Section 306 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be deemed (to the extent lawful) to evidence the same debt as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security.

 

“Prepaid Lien” means any Lien securing indebtedness for the payment, prepayment or redemption of which there shall have been irrevocably deposited in trust with the trustee or other holder of such Lien moneys and/or Investment Securities which (together with the interest reasonably expected to be earned from the investment and reinvestment in Investment Securities of the moneys and/or the principal of and interest on the Investment Securities so deposited) shall be sufficient for such purpose; provided, however, that if such indebtedness is to be redeemed or otherwise prepaid prior to the stated maturity thereof, any notice requisite to such redemption or prepayment shall have been given in accordance with the instrument creating such Lien or irrevocable instructions to give such notice shall have been given to such trustee or other holder.

 

  

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“Property Additions” has the meaning specified in Section 104.

 

“Purchase Money Lien” means, with respect to any property being acquired or disposed of by the Company or being released from the Lien of this Indenture, a Lien on such property that:

 

(a)           is taken or retained by the transferor of such property to secure all or part of the purchase price thereof;

 

(b)           is granted to one or more Persons other than the transferor which, by making advances or incurring an obligation, give value to enable the grantor of such Lien to acquire rights in or the use of such property; or

 

(c)           otherwise constitutes in whole or in part a purchase money mortgage or a purchase money security interest under applicable law.

 

“Redemption Date”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Indenture.

 

“Redemption Price”, when used with respect to any Security to be redeemed, means the price at which it is to be redeemed pursuant to this Indenture.

 

“Regular Record Date” for the interest payable on any Interest Payment Date on the Securities of any series means the date specified for that purpose as contemplated by Section 301.

 

“Required Currency” has the meaning specified in Section 311.

 

“Responsible Officer”, when used with respect to the Trustee, means any officer of the Trustee assigned by the Trustee to administer its corporate trust matters.

 

“Retained Interests” has the meaning specified in the paragraph following the Habendum of this Indenture.

 

“Retired Securities” means any Securities authenticated and delivered under this Indenture which (a) no longer remain Outstanding by reason of the applicability of clause (a) or (b) in the definition of “Outstanding” (other than any Predecessor Security of any Security), (b) have not been made the basis under any of the provisions of this Indenture of one or more Authorized Purposes and (c) have not been paid, redeemed, purchased or otherwise retired by the application thereto of Funded Cash.

 

  

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“Securities” means any bonds, notes and other evidences of indebtedness authenticated and delivered under this Indenture.

 

“Security Register” and “Security Registrar” have the respective meanings specified in Section 305.

 

“Special Record Date” for the payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series means a date fixed by the Trustee pursuant to Section 307.

 

“Stated Interest Rate” means a rate (whether fixed or variable) at which an obligation by its terms is stated to bear simple interest.  Any calculation or other determination to be made under this Indenture by reference to the Stated Interest Rate on a Security shall be made without regard to the effective interest cost to the Company of such Security and without regard to the Stated Interest Rate on, or the effective cost to the Company of, any other indebtedness the Company’s obligations in respect of which are evidenced or secured in whole or in part by such Security.

 

“Stated Maturity”, when used with respect to any obligation or any installment of principal thereof or interest thereon, means the date on which the principal of such obligation or such installment of principal or interest is stated to be due and payable (without regard to any provisions for redemption, prepayment, acceleration, purchase or extension).

 

“Successor Corporation” has the meaning set forth in Section 1201.

 

“Tranche” means a group of Securities which (a) are of the same series and (b) have identical terms except as to principal amount, date of issuance, initial Interest Payment Date and/or initial interest accrual date.

 

“Trust Indenture Act” means, as of any time, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, or any successor statute, as in effect at such time.

 

“Trustee” means the Person named as the “Trustee” in the first paragraph of this Indenture until a successor trustee shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, and thereafter “Trustee” shall mean such successor Trustee, and, if at any time there is more than one Person acting as trustee hereunder, “Trustee” as used with respect to the Securities of any series shall mean the Trustee with respect to Securities of such series.

 

“Uniform Commercial Code” means the Uniform Commercial Code as enacted and in effect in the State of New York on the Effective Date; provided, that with respect to any property as to which the Uniform Commercial Code, as so defined, specifies that the law of a different jurisdiction governs the perfection, the effect of perfection or nonperfection and the priority of a security interest in such property, “Uniform Commercial Code” means the Uniform Commercial Code as enacted and in effect in such other jurisdiction on the Effective Date.

 

“United States” means the United States of America, its Territories, its possessions and other areas subject to its political jurisdiction.

 

  

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SECTION 102.        Funded Property; Funded Cash.

 

“Funded Property” means:

 

(a)           all Property Additions to the extent that the same shall have been made the basis of the authentication and delivery of Securities under this Indenture pursuant to Section 402;

 

(b)           all Property Additions to the extent that the same shall have been made the basis of the release of property from the Lien of this Indenture pursuant to Section 703;

 

(c)           all Property Additions to the extent that the same shall have been made the basis of the withdrawal of cash held by the Trustee pursuant to Section 404 or 706; and

 

(d)           all Property Additions to the extent that the same shall have been used as the basis of a credit against, or otherwise in satisfaction of, the requirements of any sinking, improvement, maintenance, replacement or similar fund or analogous provision established with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, as contemplated by Section 301; provided, however, that any such Property Additions shall cease to be Funded Property when all of the Securities of such series or Tranche shall have been paid.

 

In the event that in any certificate filed with the Trustee in connection with any of the transactions referred to in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Section, only a part of the Cost or Fair Value of the Property Additions described in such certificate shall be required for the purposes of such certificate, then such Property Additions shall be deemed to be Funded Property only to the extent so required for the purpose of such certificate.

 

All Funded Property that shall be abandoned, destroyed, released or otherwise disposed of shall for the purpose of Section 104 hereof be deemed Funded Property retired and for other purposes of this Indenture shall thereupon cease to be Funded Property, but, as provided in this Indenture, may at any time thereafter again become Funded Property.  Neither any reduction in the Cost or book value of property recorded in the plant account of the Company, nor the transfer of any amount appearing in such account to intangible and/or adjustment accounts, otherwise than in connection with actual retirements of physical property abandoned, destroyed, released or disposed of, and otherwise than in connection with the removal of such property in its entirety from plant account, shall be deemed to constitute a retirement of Funded Property.

 

The Company may make allocations, on a pro-rata or other reasonable basis (including, but not limited to, the designation of specific properties or the designation of all or a specified portion of the properties reflected in one or more generic accounts or subaccounts in the Company’s books of account), for the purpose of determining the extent to which fungible properties, or other properties not otherwise identified, reflected in the same generic account or subaccount in the Company’s books of account constitute Funded Property or Funded Property retired.

 

  

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“Funded Cash” means:

 

(a)           cash, held by the Trustee hereunder, to the extent that it represents the proceeds of insurance on, or cash deposited in connection with the release of, property, or the proceeds of the release of obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien which obligations have been delivered to the Trustee pursuant to Article Seven and used as a credit in any application for the release of property hereunder, or the proceeds of payment to the Trustee on account of the principal of obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien which obligations have been delivered to it pursuant to Article Seven and used as a credit in any application for the release of property hereunder, all subject, however, to the provisions of Section 607(c) and Section 706; and

 

(b)           any cash deposited with the Trustee under Section 404.

 

SECTION 103.        Net Earnings Certificate; Adjusted Net Earnings; Annual Interest Requirements.

 

“Net Earnings Certificate” means a certificate signed by an Accountant who, except as otherwise required in this Section, may be an employee or Affiliate of the Company, stating:

 

(a)           the “Adjusted Net Earnings” of the Company for a period of twelve (12) consecutive calendar months within the eighteen (18) calendar months immediately preceding the first day of the month in which the Company Order requesting the authentication and delivery under this Indenture of Securities is delivered to the Trustee, specifying:

 

(i)             its operating revenues (which may include revenues of the Company subject when collected or accrued to possible refund at a future date), with the principal divisions thereof;

 

(ii)            its operating expenses, with the principal divisions thereof, except that there shall not be required to be included in operating expenses (A) expenses for income, profits and other taxes measured by, or dependent on, net income, (B) provisions for reserves for renewals, replacements, depreciation, depletion or retirement of property (or any expenditures therefor), or provisions for amortization of property, (C) expenses or provisions for interest (including the interest component of rent), for the amortization of debt discount, premium, expense or loss on reacquired debt, for any maintenance and replacement, improvement or sinking fund or other device for the retirement of any indebtedness, or for other amortization, (D) expenses or provisions for any non-recurring charge to income or retained earnings of whatever kind or nature (including without limitation the recognition of expense due to the non-recoverability of investment or expense), whether or not recorded as a non-recurring item in the Company’s books of account, or (E) provisions for any refund of revenues previously collected or accrued by the Company subject to possible refund;

 

  

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(iii)           the amount remaining after deducting the amount required to be stated in such certificate by clause (ii) above from the amount required to be stated therein by clause (i) above;

 

 (iv)           its other income (net) including, but not limited to, non-utility operating income, net non-operating income, equity in the earnings of subsidiaries and associated companies, and dividends or other distributions received by the Company from other corporations in respect of Equity Interest in such corporations held by the Company, and any allowance for funds used during construction and any allowance for funds used for conservation expenditures (or any amounts analogous to either or both of such allowances, and including any portion of either or both of such allowances, or of any such analogous amounts, not included in “other income” in the Company’s books of account); 

 

(v)            the sum of the amounts required to be stated in such certificate by clauses (iii) and (iv) above;

 

(vi)           the amount, if any, by which its other income (net) exceeds twenty percent (20%) of the sum required to be stated by clause (v) above; and

 

(vii)          the Adjusted Net Earnings of the Company for such period of twelve (12) consecutive calendar months (being the amount remaining after deducting in such certificate the amount required to be stated by clause (vi) above from the sum required to be stated by clause (v) above); and

 

(b)           the “Annual Interest Requirements”, being the interest requirements for one year, at the respective Stated Interest Rates, if any, borne prior to Maturity, upon:

 

(i)             all Securities Outstanding hereunder at the date of such certificate, except any for the payment or redemption of which the Securities applied for are to be issued; provided, however, that, if the Outstanding Securities of any series or Tranche bear interest at a variable rate or rates, then the interest requirement on the Securities of such series or Tranche shall be determined by reference to the rate or rates in effect on the date next preceding the date of such certificate;

 

(ii)            all Securities then applied for in pending Company Orders for new Securities, including the Company Order in connection with which such certificate is made; provided, however, that if the Securities of any series or Tranche are to bear interest at a variable rate or rates, then the interest requirement on the Securities of such series or Tranche shall be determined by reference to the rate or rates to be in effect at the time of the initial authentication and delivery of such Securities; and provided, further, that the determination of the interest requirement on Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering shall be further subject to the provisions of Section 401(d); and

 

  

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(iii)           the principal amount of all other indebtedness (except indebtedness for the payment or redemption of which the Securities applied for are to be issued and indebtedness secured by a Prepaid Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture upon property subject to the Lien of this Indenture) outstanding on the date of such certificate and secured by Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture upon property subject to the Lien of this Indenture, if such indebtedness has been issued, assumed or guaranteed by the Company or if the Company customarily pays the interest thereon; provided, however, that if any such indebtedness bears interest at a variable rate or rates, then the interest requirement on such indebtedness shall be determined by reference to the rate or rates in effect on the date next preceding the date of such certificate.

 

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, in calculating Adjusted Net Earnings in accordance with clause (a) above, (a) neither profits from the sale or other disposition of property (other than property held for the purpose of sale or lease in the ordinary course of business), nor other non-recurring items of revenue or income of any kind or nature, shall be taken into account and (b) neither losses from the sale or other disposition of property (other than property held for the purpose of sale or lease in the ordinary course of business), nor non-recurring items of expense of any kind or nature, shall be required to be taken into account.

 

If any of the property of the Company owned by it at the time of the making of any Net Earnings Certificate (a) shall have been acquired during or after any period for which Adjusted Net Earnings of the Company are to be computed, (b) shall not have been acquired in exchange or substitution for property the net earnings of which have been included in the Adjusted Net Earnings of the Company and (c) had been operated as a separate unit and items of revenue and expense attributable thereto are readily ascertainable by the Company, then the net earnings of such property (computed in the manner in this Section provided for the computation of the Adjusted Net Earnings of the Company) during such period or such part of such period as shall have preceded the acquisition thereof, to the extent that the same have not otherwise been included in the Adjusted Net Earnings of the Company, shall be so included.

 

 In any case where a Net Earnings Certificate is required as a condition precedent to the authentication and delivery of Securities, such certificate shall also be made and signed by an Independent Accountant if the aggregate principal amount of Securities then applied for plus the aggregate principal amount of Securities authenticated and delivered hereunder since the commencement of the then current calendar year (other than those with respect to which a Net Earnings Certificate is not required, or with respect to which a Net Earnings Certificate made and signed by an Independent Accountant has previously been furnished to the Trustee) is ten percent (10%) or more of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding; provided, however, that no Net Earnings Certificate shall be required to be made and signed by an Independent Accountant, and any such certificate may be made and signed by any Accountant, (a) if such certificate relates to dates or periods not covered by annual reports required to be filed by the Company, in the case of conditions precedent which depend upon a state of facts as of a date or dates or for a period or periods different from that required to be covered by such annual reports and (b) in connection with the first authentication and delivery of Securities hereunder. 

 

  

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SECTION 104.        Property Additions; Cost.

 

(a)           “Property Additions” means, as of any particular time, any item, unit or element of property which at such time is owned by the Company and is subject to the Lien of this Indenture; provided, however, that Property Additions shall not include:

 

 (i)            goodwill, going concern value rights or intangible property except (A) for Equity Interests in subsidiaries, associated companies and other corporations made subject to the Lien of this Indenture pursuant to Granting Clause Third, and (B) as provided in subsection (c) of this Section; or 

 

(ii)           any property the cost of acquisition or construction of which is, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, properly chargeable to an operating expense account of the Company.

 

(b)           When any Property Additions are certified to the Trustee as the basis of any Authorized Purpose (except as otherwise provided in Section 703 and Section 706),

 

(i)            there shall be deducted from the Cost or Fair Value to the Company thereof, as the case may be (as of the date so certified), an amount equal to the Cost (or as to Property Additions of which the Fair Value to the Company at the time the same became Funded Property was certified to be an amount less than the Cost as determined pursuant to this Section, then such Fair Value, as so certified, in lieu of Cost) of all Funded Property of the Company retired to the date of such certification (other than the Funded Property, if any, in connection with the application for the release of which such certificate is filed) and not theretofore deducted from the Cost or Fair Value to the Company of Property Additions theretofore certified to the Trustee, and

 

(ii)           there may, at the option of the Company, be added to such Cost or Fair Value, as the case may be, the sum of

 

(A)           the principal amount of any obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien not theretofore so added and which the Company then elects so to add, received by the Trustee as the basis of release of Funded Property retired;

 

(B)            ten-sevenths (10/7) of the amount of any cash, not theretofore so added and which the Company so elects to add, received by the Trustee representing the proceeds of insurance on, or of the release or other disposition of, Funded Property retired;

 

(C)            ten-sevenths (10/7) of the principal amount of any Security or Securities, or portion of such principal amount, not theretofore so added and which the Company then elects so to add, the right to the authentication and delivery of which under the provisions of Section 403 and Section 703(d)(iii) shall at any time theretofore have been waived as the basis of the release of Funded Property retired; and

 

  

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(D)           the Cost to the Company of any Property Additions not theretofore so added and which the Company then elects so to add, to the extent that the same shall have been substituted for Funded Property retired;

 

provided, however, that the aggregate of the amounts added under clause (ii) above shall in no event exceed the amounts deducted under clause (i) above.

 

(c)           Except as otherwise provided in Section 703, the term “Cost” with respect to Property Additions shall mean the sum of (i) any cash delivered in payment therefor or for the acquisition thereof, (ii) an amount equivalent to the fair market value in cash (as of the date of delivery) of any securities or other property delivered in payment therefor or for the acquisition thereof, (iii) the principal amount of any obligations secured by prior Lien upon such Property Additions outstanding at the time of the acquisition thereof, (iv) the principal amount of any other obligations incurred or assumed in connection with the payment for such Property Additions or for the acquisition thereof and (v) any other amounts which, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, are properly charged or chargeable to the plant or other property accounts of the Company with respect to such Property Additions as part of the cost of construction or acquisition thereof, including, but not limited to, any allowance for funds used during construction or any similar or analogous amount; provided, however, that, notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture,

 

 (w)          with respect to Property Additions consisting of Equity Interests issued by any subsidiary, associated company or other corporation, no determination of Cost shall be required, and, wherever in this Indenture provision is made for Cost, Cost with respect to such Property Additions shall mean the net book value of the equity in such subsidiary, associated company or other corporation held by the Company as reflected in the Company’s books of account (determined, to the extent such Property Additions constitute Funded Property retired or to be released from the Lien of this Indenture, at the time the same became Funded Property); 

 

(x)           with respect to Property Additions owned by a successor corporation immediately prior to the time it shall have become such by consolidation or merger or acquired by a successor corporation in or as a result of a consolidation or merger (excluding, in any case, Property Additions owned by the Company immediately prior to such time), Cost shall mean the amount or amounts at which such Property Additions are recorded in the plant or other property accounts of such successor corporation, or the predecessor corporation from which such Property Additions are acquired, as the case may be, immediately prior to such consolidation or merger;

 

 (y)           with respect to Property Additions which shall have been acquired (otherwise than by construction) by the Company without any consideration consisting of cash, securities or other property or the incurring or assumption of indebtedness, no determination of Cost shall be required, and, wherever in this Indenture provision is made for Cost. Cost with respect to such Property Additions shall mean the aggregate amount reflected in the Company’s books of account with respect thereto upon the acquisition thereof; and 

 

(z)           in no event shall the Cost of Property Additions (other than Property Additions consisting of Equity Interest) be required to reflect any depreciation or amortization in respect of such Property Additions, or any adjustment to the amount or amounts at which such Property Additions are recorded in plant or other property accounts due to the non-recoverability of investment or otherwise.

 

  

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If any Property Additions are shown by the Expert’s Certificate provided for in Section 402(b)(ii) to include any property which has been used or operated by Persons other than the Company in a business similar to that in which it has been or is to be used or operated by the Company, the Cost thereof need not be reduced by any amount in respect of any goodwill, going concern value rights and/or intangible property simultaneously acquired for which no separate or distinct consideration shall have been paid or apportioned, and in such case the term Property Additions as defined herein may include such goodwill, going concern value rights and intangible property.

 

SECTION 105.        Compliance Certificates and Opinions.

 

Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, upon any application or request by the Company to the Trustee to take any action under any provision of this Indenture, the Company shall furnish to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with and an Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel all such conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with, it being understood that in the case of any such application or request as to which the furnishing of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this Indenture relating to such particular application or request, no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.

 

Every certificate or opinion with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Indenture (other than certificates provided pursuant to Section 610) shall include:

 

(a)            a statement that each Person signing such certificate or opinion has read such covenant or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;

 

(b)            a brief statement as to the nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the statements or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;

 

(c)            a statement that, in the opinion of each such Person, such Person has made such examination or investigation as is necessary to enable such Person to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and

 

(d)            a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such Person, such condition or covenant has been complied with.

 

SECTION 106.        Form of Documents Delivered to Trustee.

 

(a)           In any case where several matters are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by, or covered by the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified or covered by only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion with respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other matters, and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters in one or several documents.

 

  

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(b)           Any Officer’s Certificate may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon legal matters, upon an opinion of, or representations by, counsel, and, insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters which are subject to verification by Accountants, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Accountant, and, insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters which are required in this Indenture to be covered by a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Expert, upon the certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Expert, unless, in any case, such officer has actual knowledge that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which such Officer’s Certificate may be based as aforesaid are erroneous.

 

(c)           Any Expert’s Certificate may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon legal matters, upon an opinion of, or representations by, counsel, and insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon factual matters, information with respect to which is in the possession of the Company and which are not subject to verification by Experts, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company, unless such Expert has actual knowledge that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous.

 

(d)           Any certificate of an Accountant may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon legal matters, upon an opinion of, or representations by, counsel, and insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon factual matters, information with respect to which is in the possession of the Company and which are not subject to verification by Accountants, upon a certificate of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company, unless such Accountant has actual knowledge that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his certificate or opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous.

 

(e)           Any Opinion of Counsel may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon factual matters as to which the Company possesses relevant information, upon a certificate of, or representations by, an officer or officers of the Company, and, insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters which are subject to verification by Accountants upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Accountant, and, insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters required in this Indenture to be covered by a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Expert, upon the certificate or opinion of, or representations by, an Expert, unless such counsel has actual knowledge that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to the matters upon which his opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous. In addition, any Opinion of Counsel may be based (without further examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters covered in an Opinion of Counsel rendered by other counsel, upon such other Opinion of Counsel, unless such counsel has actual knowledge that the Opinion of Counsel rendered by such other counsel with respect to the matters upon which his Opinion of Counsel may be based as aforesaid are erroneous. Further, any Opinion of Counsel with respect to the status of title to or the sufficiency of descriptions of property, the existence of recorded or unrecorded Liens affecting property, the fact, place, time or sequence of recording or filing of documents or the form or content of such documents, or any similar matters, may be based (without further examination or investigation) upon (i) title insurance policies, commitments and reports, lien search certificates, landman’s run sheets and other similar documents, or (ii) certificates of, or representations by, officers, employees, agents or other representatives of the Company, or (iii) any combination of the documents referred to in (i) and (ii), unless, in any case, such counsel has actual knowledge that the document or documents with respect to the matters upon which his opinion may be based as aforesaid are erroneous. If, in order to render any Opinion of Counsel provided for herein, the signer thereof shall deem it necessary that additional facts or matters be stated in any Officer’s Certificate, certificate of an Accountant or Expert’s Certificate provided for herein, then such certificate may state all such additional facts or matters as the signer of such Opinion of Counsel may request.

 

  

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(f)           Where any Person is required to make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents, certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this Indenture, they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.  Conversely, where the Company is required to provide an Opinion of Counsel as to any matter affected by the laws of more than one State, the Company may provide separate Opinions of Counsel, each of which addresses the matter under the laws of one or more of the affected States.

 

(g)           Whenever, subsequent to the receipt by the Trustee of any Board Resolution, Officer’s Certificate, Expert’s Certificate, Net Earnings Certificate, Opinion of Counsel or other document or instrument, a clerical, typographical or other inadvertent or unintentional error or omission shall be discovered therein, a new document or instrument may be substituted therefor in corrected form with the same force and effect as if originally filed in the corrected form and, irrespective of the date or dates of the actual execution and/or delivery thereof, such substitute document or instrument shall be deemed to have been executed and/or delivered as of the date or dates required with respect to the document or instrument for which it is substituted.  Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, if any such corrective document or instrument indicates that action has been taken by or at the request of the Company which could not have been taken had the original document or instrument not contained such error or omission, the action so taken shall not be invalidated or otherwise rendered ineffective but shall be and remain in full force and effect, except to the extent that such action was a result of willful misconduct or bad faith.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any Securities issued under the authority of such defective document or instrument shall nevertheless be the valid obligations of the Company entitled to the benefit of the Lien of this Indenture equally and ratably with all other Outstanding Securities, except as aforesaid.

 

SECTION 107.        Acts of Holders.

 

(a)           Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly appointed in writing or, alternatively, may be embodied in and evidenced by the record of Holders voting in favor thereof, either in person or by proxies duly appointed in writing, at any meeting of Holders duly called and held in accordance with the provisions of Article Fourteen, or a combination of such instruments and any such record.  Except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments or record or both are delivered to the Trustee and, where it is hereby expressly required, to the Company.  Such instrument or instruments and any such record (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments and so voting at any such meeting.  Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent, or of the holding by any Person of a Security, shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Indenture and (subject to Section 1001) conclusive in favor of the Trustee and the Company, if made in the manner provided in this Section.  The record of any meeting of Holders shall be proved in the manner provided in Section 1406.

 

  

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(b)           The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof or may be proved in any other manner which the Trustee and the Company deem sufficient.  Where such execution is by a signer acting in a capacity other than his individual capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority.

 

(c)           The principal amount (except as otherwise contemplated in clause (y) of the first proviso to the definition of Outstanding) and serial numbers of Securities held by any Person, and the date of holding the same, shall be proved by the Security Register.

 

(d)           Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or other Act of a Holder shall bind every future Holder of the same Security and the Holder of every Security issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Company in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Security.

 

(e)           Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, authenticated and delivered after any Act of Holders may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any action taken by such Act of Holders.  If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to such action may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranche.

 

(f)            If the Company shall solicit from Holders any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, the Company may, at its option, by Company Order, fix in advance a record date for the determination of Holders entitled to give such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, but the Company shall have no obligation to do so.  Any such record date shall be not less than ten (10), nor more than sixty (60), days prior to the date of the first solicitation by the Company.  If such a record date is fixed, such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act may be given before or after such record date, but only the Holders of record at the close of business on the record date shall be deemed to be Holders for the purposes of determining whether Holders of the requisite proportion of the Outstanding Securities have authorized or agreed or consented to such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other Act, and for that purpose the Outstanding Securities shall be computed as of the record date.

 

  

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SECTION 108.        Notices, Etc. to Trustee and Company.

 

Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, election, waiver or Act of Holders or other document provided or permitted by this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to, or filed with, the Trustee by any Holder or by the Company, or the Company by the Trustee or by any Holder, shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder (unless otherwise expressly provided herein) if the same shall be in writing and delivered personally to an officer or other responsible employee of the addressee, or transmitted by facsimile transmission, telex or other direct written electronic means to such telephone number or other electronic communications address as the parties hereto shall from time to time designate, or transmitted by registered or certified mail, charges prepaid, to the applicable address set opposite such party’s name below or to such other address as either party hereto may from time to time designate:

 

If to the Trustee, to:

 

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

___________________________

If to the Company, to:

 

Southwestern Public Service Company

Tyler at Sixth Street

Amarillo, Texas 79101

Any communication contemplated herein shall be deemed to have been made, given, furnished and filed if personally delivered, on the date of delivery, if transmitted by facsimile transmission, telex or other direct written electronic means, on the date of transmission, and if transmitted by registered or certified mail, on the date of receipt.

 

The Trustee agrees to accept and act upon instructions or directions pursuant to this Indenture sent by unsecured facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods; provided, however, that (a) the party providing such electronic instructions or directions, subsequent to the transmission thereof, shall provide the originally executed instructions or directions to the Trustee in a timely manner and (b) such originally executed instructions or directions shall be signed by an authorized representative of the party providing such instructions or directions.  If a party elects to give the Trustee instructions or directions by unsecured facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods, as aforesaid, and the Trustee in its discretion elects to act upon such instructions or directions, the Trustee’s understanding of such instructions or directions shall be deemed controlling.  The Trustee shall not be liable for any losses, costs or expenses arising directly or indirectly from the Trustee’s reliance upon and compliance with such instructions or directions notwithstanding such instructions or directions conflict or are inconsistent with a subsequent written instruction or direction or if the subsequent written instruction or direction is never received.  The party providing instructions or directions by unsecured facsimile transmission or other similar unsecured electronic methods, as aforesaid, agrees to assume all risks arising out of the use of such electronic methods to submit instructions and directions to the Trustee, including without limitation the risk of the Trustee acting on unauthorized instructions, and the risk of interception and misuse by third parties.  Nothing in this Section 108 shall require the Trustee to act upon instructions or directions sent by e-mail transmissions.

 

  

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SECTION 109.        Notice to Holders of Securities; Waiver.

 

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, where this Indenture provides for notice to Holders of any event, such notice shall be sufficiently given, and shall be deemed given, to Holders if in writing and mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder affected by such event, at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier than the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice.  Not in limitation of the foregoing, if any Securities are held of record by a securities depositary, any notice to Holders hereunder shall be given to such depositary in accordance with such depositary’s procedures.  Notwithstanding the first sentence of this paragraph, solely for the purposes of Section 48-10-5(C), New Mexico Statutes Annotated 1978 (“NMSA 1978”), the mailing address of each of the Holders shall be the address of the Trustee as set forth in Section 108.

 

In case by reason of the suspension of regular mail service or by reason of any other cause it shall be impracticable to give such notice to Holders by mail, then such notification as shall be made with the approval of the Trustee shall constitute a sufficient notification for every purpose hereunder.  In any case where notice to Holders is given by mail, neither the failure to mail such notice, nor any defect in any notice so mailed, to any particular Holder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect to other Holders.

 

Any notice required by this Indenture may be waived in writing by the Person entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event otherwise to be specified therein, and such waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice.  Waivers of notice by Holders shall be filed with the Trustee, but such filing shall not be a condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance upon such waiver.

 

SECTION 110.        Conflict with Trust Indenture Act.

 

If any provision of this Indenture limits, qualifies or conflicts with another provision hereof which is required or deemed to be included in this Indenture by, or is otherwise governed by, any provision of the Trust Indenture Act, such other provision shall control; and if any provision hereof otherwise conflicts with the Trust Indenture Act, the Trust Indenture Act shall control.

 

SECTION 111.        Effect of Headings and Table of Contents.

 

The Article and Section headings in this Indenture and the Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

 

  

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SECTION 112.        Successors and Assigns.

 

All covenants and agreements in this Indenture by the Company shall bind its successors and assigns, whether so expressed or not.

 

SECTION 113.        Separability Clause.

 

In case any provision in this Indenture or the Securities shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

SECTION 114.        Benefits of Indenture.

 

Nothing in this Indenture or the Securities, express or implied, shall give to any Person, other than the parties hereto, their successors hereunder and the Holders, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this Indenture.

 

SECTION 115.        Governing Law.

 

This Indenture and the Securities shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of the State of New York (including without limitation Section 5-1401 of the New York General Obligations Law or any successor to such statute), except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act shall be applicable and except to the extent that the law of any jurisdiction wherein any portion of the Mortgaged Property is located shall mandatorily govern the attachment, perfection, priority or enforcement of the Lien of this Indenture with respect to such portion of the Mortgaged Property.

 

SECTION 116.        Legal Holidays.

 

In any case where any Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity of any Security shall not be a Business Day at any Place of Payment, then (notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture or of the Securities other than a provision in Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, or in the indenture supplemental hereto, Board Resolution or Officer’s Certificate which establishes the terms of the Securities of such series or Tranche, which specifically states that such provision shall apply in lieu of this Section) payment of interest or principal and premium, if any, need not be made at such Place of Payment on such date, but may be made on the next succeeding Business Day at such Place of Payment with the same force and effect as if made on the Interest Payment Date or Redemption Date, or at the Stated Maturity, and, if such payment is made or duly provided for on such Business Day, no interest shall accrue on the amount so payable for the period from and after such Interest Payment Date, Redemption Date or Stated Maturity, as the case may be, to such Business Day.

 

SECTION 117.        Investment of Cash Held by Trustee.

 

Any cash held by the Trustee or any Paying Agent under any provision of this Indenture shall, except as otherwise provided in Section 706 or Article Eight, at the request of the Company evidenced by Company Order, be invested or reinvested in Investment Securities designated by the Company, and any interest on such Investment Securities shall be promptly paid over to the Company as received free and clear of any Lien.  Such Investment Securities shall be held subject to the same provisions hereof as the cash used to purchase the same, but upon a like request of the Company shall be sold, in whole or in designated part, and the proceeds of such sale shall be held subject to the same provisions hereof as the cash used to purchase the Investment Securities so sold.  If such sale shall produce a net sum less than the cost of the Investment Securities so sold, the Company shall pay to the Trustee or any such Paying Agent, as the case may be, such amount in cash as, together with the net proceeds from such sale, shall equal the cost of the Investment Securities so sold, and if such sale shall produce a net sum greater than the cost of the Investment Securities so sold, the Trustee or any such Paying Agent, as the case may be, shall promptly pay over to the Company an amount in cash equal to such excess, free and clear of any Lien.

 

  

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Notwithstanding the foregoing, if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, interest on Investment Securities and any gain upon the sale thereof shall be held as part of the Mortgaged Property until such Event of Default shall have been cured or waived, whereupon such interest and gain shall be promptly paid over to the Company free and clear of any Lien.

 

SECTION 118.        “Utility”; “Utility Security Instrument”; “Utility Security Interest”.

 

The Company is a “utility”, this Indenture is a “utility security instrument”, and this Indenture creates and grants a “security interest” in the Mortgaged Property, as such terms are used in Chapter 261 Utility Security Instruments of the Texas Business & Commerce Code.

 

SECTION 119.        Uniform Commercial Code.

 

To the extent that the Mortgaged Property includes personal property not governed by Chapter 261 of the Texas and Business and Commerce Code, but governed by the Uniform Commercial Code, this Indenture is a "security agreement" under the Uniform Commercial Code as to such personal property and creates a security interest thereon within the meaning of the Uniform Commercial Code as to property within the scope thereof. This Indenture shall also constitute a fixture filing for the purposes of the Uniform Commercial Code. Portions of the Mortgaged Property are or are to become fixtures; information concerning the security interest herein granted may be obtained from either party at the address of such party set forth herein. For purposes of the security interest herein granted, the addresses of the debtor (the Company) and the secured party (the Trustee) are set out in Section 108.

 

ARTICLE TWO

 

Security Forms

 

SECTION 201.        Forms Generally.

 

The definitive Securities of each series shall be in substantially the form or forms established in the indenture supplemental hereto establishing such series, or in a Board Resolution establishing such series, or in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to such a supplemental indenture or Board Resolution, in any case with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required or permitted by this Indenture, and may have such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends or endorsements placed thereon as may be required to comply with the rules of any securities exchange or as may, consistently herewith, be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution of the Securities.  If the form or forms of Securities of any series are established in a Board Resolution or in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to a Board Resolution, such Board Resolution and Officer’s Certificate, if any, shall be delivered to the Trustee at or prior to the delivery of the Company Order contemplated by Section 401 for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.

 

  

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Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301, the Securities of each series shall be issuable in registered form without coupons.  The definitive Securities shall be produced in such manner as shall be determined by the officers executing such Securities, as evidenced by their execution thereof.

 

SECTION 202.        Form of Trustee’s Certificate of Authentication.

 

The Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the form set forth below:

 

This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

	 	 	 
	 	as Trustee	 
	 	 	 	 
	
 

	
By: 

	 	 
	 	 	      Authorized Signatory	 

 

ARTICLE THREE

 

The Securities

 

SECTION 301.        Amount Unlimited; Issuable in Series.

 

The aggregate principal amount of Securities which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture is unlimited. For purposes of NMSA 1978 § 48-7-9, the maximum amount secured by the Lien of this Indenture, as supplemented from time to time, shall include an amount equal to the aggregate of (i) the maximum principal amount of each series of Securities described in each supplemental indenture that is recorded or filed in the State of New Mexico from time to time in accordance with the provisions of Section 608, plus (ii) interest accrued on the Securities described in clause (i) of this sentence, plus (iii) all amounts expended, incurred or otherwise recoverable by the Trustee pursuant to the provisions of Articles 9 and 10 hereof. 

 

The Securities may be issued in one or more series. Subject to the second to last paragraph of this Section, prior to the authentication and delivery of Securities of any series there shall be established by specification in a supplemental indenture or in a Board Resolution, or in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to a supplemental indenture or a Board Resolution:

 

(a)           the title of the Securities of such series (which shall distinguish the Securities of such series from Securities of all other series);

 

  

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(b)           any limit upon the aggregate principal amount of the Securities of such series which may be authenticated and delivered under this Indenture (except for Securities authenticated and delivered upon registration of transfer of, or in exchange for, or in lieu of, other Securities of such series pursuant to Section 107, 304, 305, 306, 506 or 1306 and except for any Securities which, pursuant to Section 303, are deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder);

 

(c)           the Persons (without specific identification) to whom interest on Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable on any Interest Payment Date, if other than the Persons in whose names such Securities (or one or more Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest;

 

(d)           the date or dates on which the principal of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, is payable or any formulary or other method or other means by which such date or dates shall be determined, by reference or otherwise (without regard to any provisions for redemption, prepayment, acceleration, purchase or extension) and the right, if any, to extend the Maturity of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, and the duration of any extension;

 

(e)           the rate or rates at which the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall bear interest, if any (including the rate or rates at which principal shall bear interest after Maturity, if different from the rate or rates at which such Securities shall bear interest prior to Maturity, and, if applicable, the rate or rates at which overdue premium or interest shall bear interest, if any), or any formulary or other method or other means by which such rate or rates shall be determined, by reference or otherwise; the date or dates from which such interest shall accrue; the Interest Payment Dates on which such interest shall be payable and the Regular Record Date, if any, for the interest payable on such Securities on any Interest Payment Date; and the basis of computation of interest, if other than as provided in Section 310, and the right, if any, to extend the interest payment periods and the duration of any such extension;

 

(f)           the place or places at which (i) the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable, (ii) registration of transfer of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be effected, (iii) exchanges of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be effected and (iv) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, and this Indenture may be served; the Security Registrar for such series; and, if such is the case, that the principal of such Securities shall be payable without the presentment or surrender thereof;

 

(g)           the period or periods within which or the date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at the option of the Company;

 

  

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(h)           the obligation or obligations, if any, of the Company to redeem or purchase the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, pursuant to any sinking fund or other mandatory redemption provisions or at the option of a Holder thereof and the period or periods within which or the date or dates on which, the price or prices at which and the terms and conditions upon which such Securities shall be redeemed or purchased, in whole or in part, pursuant to such obligation, and applicable exceptions to the requirements of Section 504 in the case of mandatory redemption or redemption at the option of the holder;

 

(i)            the denominations in which Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be issuable if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof;

 

(j)            the currency or currencies, including composite currencies, in which payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable (if other than in Dollars); it being understood that, for purposes of calculations under this Indenture (including calculations of Annual Interest Requirements contemplated by Section 103 and calculations of principal amount under Article Four), any amounts denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency shall be converted to Dollar equivalents by calculating the amount of Dollars which could have been purchased by the amount of such other currency based (i) on the average of the mean of the buying and selling spot rates quoted by three banks which are members of the New York Clearing House Association selected by the Company in effect at 11:00 A.M. (New York time) in The City of New York on the fifth Business Day preceding the date of such calculation or (ii) on such other quotations or alternative methods of determination as shall be selected by an Authorized Officer;

 

(k)           if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be payable, at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in a coin or currency other than that in which the Securities are stated to be payable, the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, such election may be made; it being understood that, for purposes of calculations under this Indenture (including calculations of Annual Interest Requirements contemplated by Section 103 and calculations of principal amount under Article Four), any such election shall be required to be taken into account, in the manner contemplated in clause (j) of this paragraph, only after such election shall have been made.

 

(l)            if the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be payable, or are to be payable at the election of the Company or a Holder thereof, in securities or other property, the type and amount of such securities or other property, or the formulary or other method or other means by which such amount shall be determined, and the period or periods within which, and the terms and conditions upon which, any such election may be made; it being understood that all calculations under this Indenture (including calculations of Annual Interest Requirements contemplated by Section 103 and calculations of principal amount under Article Four) shall be made on the basis of the fair market value of such securities or the Fair Value of such other property, in either case determined as of the most recent practicable date, except that, in the case of any amount of principal or interest that may be so payable at the election of the Company or a Holder, if such election shall not yet have been made, such calculations shall be made on the basis of the amount of principal or interest, as the case may be, that would be payable if no such election were made;

 

  

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(m)          if the amount payable in respect of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be determined with reference to an index or other fact or event ascertainable outside of this Indenture, the manner in which such amounts shall be determined (to the extent not established pursuant to clause (e) of this paragraph); it being understood that all calculations under this Indenture (including calculations of Annual Interest Requirements contemplated by Section 103 and calculations of principal amount under Article Four) shall be made on the basis of the amount that would be payable as principal if such principal were due, or on the basis of the interest rates in effect, as the case may be, on the date next preceding the date of such calculation;

 

(n)           if other than the principal amount thereof, the portion of the principal amount of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, which shall be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 902;

 

(o)           the terms, if any, pursuant to which the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, may be converted into or exchanged for shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company or any other Person;

 

(p)           the obligations or instruments, if any, which shall be considered to be Eligible Obligations in respect of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, denominated in a currency other than Dollars or in a composite currency, and any additional or alternative provisions for the reinstatement of the Company’s indebtedness in respect of such Securities after the satisfaction and discharge thereof as provided in Section 801;

 

(q)           if the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be issued in global form, (i) any limitations on the rights of the Holder or Holders of such Securities to transfer or exchange the same or to obtain the registration of transfer thereof, (ii) any limitations on the rights of the Holder or Holders thereof to obtain certificates therefor in definitive form in lieu of temporary form and (iii) any and all other matters incidental to such Securities;

 

  

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(r)            if the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be issuable as bearer securities, any and all matters incidental thereto which are not specifically addressed in a supplemental indenture as contemplated by clause (f) of Section 1301;

 

(s)           to the extent not established pursuant to clause (q) of this paragraph, any limitations on the rights of the Holders of the Securities of such Series, or any Tranche thereof, to transfer or exchange such Securities or to obtain the registration of transfer thereof; and if a service charge will be made for the registration of transfer or exchange of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, the amount or terms thereof;

 

(t)            any exceptions to Section 116, or variation in the definition of Business Day, with respect to the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof; and

 

(u)           any other terms of the Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof.

 

With respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the indenture supplemental hereto or the Board Resolution which establishes such series, or the Officer’s Certificate pursuant to such supplemental indenture or Board Resolution, as the case may be, may provide general terms or parameters for Securities of such series and provide either that the specific terms of Securities of such series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be specified in a Company Order or that such terms shall be determined by the Company or its agents in accordance with procedures specified in a Company Order as contemplated by clause (b) of Section 401.

 

Unless otherwise provided with respect to a series of Securities as contemplated in clause (b) of Section 301, the aggregate principal amount of a series of Securities may be increased and additional Securities of such series may be issued up to the maximum aggregate principal amount, if any, authorized with respect to such series as increased.

 

Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Trustee shall be under no obligation to authenticate and deliver Securities of any series the terms of which, established as contemplated by this Section, would affect the Trustee’s rights, duties, obligations or immunities.

 

SECTION 302.        Denominations.

 

Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, the Securities of each series shall be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof.

 

SECTION 303.        Execution, Dating, Certificate of Authentication.

 

Unless otherwise provided as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, the Securities shall be executed on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer, and may have the corporate seal of the Company affixed thereto or reproduced thereon. The signature of any officer on the Securities may be manual or facsimile.

 

  

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Securities bearing the manual or facsimile signature of an individual who was at the time of execution an Authorized Officer of the Company shall bind the Company, notwithstanding that such individual has ceased to hold such office prior to the authentication and delivery of such Securities or did not hold such office at the date of such Securities.

 

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, each Security shall be dated the date of its authentication.

 

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, no Security shall be entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose unless there appears on such Security a certificate of authentication substantially in the form provided for herein executed by the Trustee or an Authenticating Agent by manual signature, and such certificate upon any Security shall be conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Security has been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder and is entitled to the benefits of this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Security shall have been authenticated and delivered hereunder to the Company, or any Person acting on its behalf, but shall never have been issued and sold by the Company, and the Company shall deliver such Security to the Security Registrar for cancellation or shall cancel such Security and deliver evidence of such cancellation to the Trustee, in each case as provided in Section 309, together with a written statement (which need not comply with Section 105 and need not be accompanied by an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel) stating that such Security has never been issued and sold by the Company, for all purposes of this Indenture such Security shall be deemed never to have been authenticated and delivered hereunder and shall never be entitled to the benefits hereof.

 

SECTION 304.        Temporary Securities.

 

Pending the preparation of definitive Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the Company may execute, and upon Company Order the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Securities which are printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed, photocopied or otherwise produced, in any authorized denomination, substantially of the tenor of the definitive Securities in lieu of which they are issued, with such appropriate insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as the officers executing such Securities may determine, as evidenced by their execution of such Securities; provided, however, that temporary Securities need not recite specific redemption, sinking fund, conversion or exchange provisions.

 

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, after the preparation of definitive Securities of such series or Tranche, the temporary Securities of such series or Tranche shall be exchangeable, without charge to the Holder thereof, for definitive Securities of such series or Tranche upon surrender of such temporary Securities at the office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section 602 in a Place of Payment for such Securities. Upon such surrender of temporary Securities, the Company shall, except as aforesaid, execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor definitive Securities of the same series and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.

 

  

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Until exchanged in full as hereinabove provided, temporary Securities shall in all respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive Securities of the same series and Tranche and of like tenor authenticated and delivered hereunder.

 

SECTION 305.        Registration, Registration of Transfer and Exchange.

 

The Company shall cause to be kept in each office designated pursuant to Section 602, with respect to the Securities of each series, or any Tranche thereof, a register (all registers kept in accordance with this Section being collectively referred to herein as the “Security Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the Company shall provide for the registration of Securities of such series or Tranche and the registration of transfer thereof. The Company shall designate one Person to maintain the Security Register for the Securities of each series on a consolidated basis, and such Person is referred to herein, with respect to such series, as the “Security Registrar.” Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may designate one or more of its offices as an office in which a register with respect to the Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, shall be maintained, and the Company may designate itself the Security Registrar with respect to one or more of such series. The Security Register shall be open for inspection by the Trustee and the Company at all reasonable times.  Unless otherwise specified in or pursuant to this Indenture or the Securities, the Trustee shall be the initial Security Registrar for each series of Securities.

 

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Security of such series or Tranche at the office or agency of the Company maintained pursuant to Section 602 in a Place of Payment for such series or Tranche, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Securities of the same series and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount.

 

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, any Security of such series or Tranche may be exchanged at the option of the Holder, for one or more new Securities of the same series and Tranche, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and aggregate principal amount, upon surrender of the Securities to be exchanged at any such office or agency. Whenever any Securities are so surrendered for exchange, the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, the Securities which the Holder making the exchange is entitled to receive.

 

All Securities delivered upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities shall be valid obligations of the Company, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture, as the Securities surrendered upon such registration of transfer or exchange.

 

  

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Every Security presented or surrendered for registration of transfer or for exchange shall (if so required by the Company, the Trustee or the Security Registrar) be duly endorsed or shall be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company, the Trustee or the Security Registrar, as the case may be, duly executed by the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing.

 

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, no service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Securities, other than exchanges pursuant to Section 107, 304, 506 or 1306 not involving any transfer.

 

The Company shall not be required to execute or to provide for the registration of transfer of or the exchange of (a) Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, during a period of fifteen (15) days immediately preceding the date notice is to be given identifying the serial numbers of the Securities of such series or Tranche called for redemption or (b) any Security so selected for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Security being redeemed in part.

 

SECTION 306.        Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost and Stolen Securities.

 

If any mutilated Security is surrendered to the Trustee, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver in exchange therefor a new Security of the same series, and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

 

If there shall be delivered to the Company and the Trustee (a) evidence to their satisfaction of the ownership of and the destruction, loss or theft of any Security and (b) such security or indemnity as may be reasonably required by them to save each of them and any agent of either of them harmless, then, in the absence of notice to the Company or the Trustee that such Security is held by a Person purporting to be the owner of such Security, the Company shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, in lieu of any such destroyed, lost or stolen Security, a new Security of the same series and Tranche, and of like tenor and principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in case any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Security has become or is about to become due and payable, the Company in its discretion may, instead of issuing a new Security, pay such Security.

 

Upon the issuance of any new Security under this Section, the Company may require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other reasonable expenses (including the fees and expenses of the Trustee) connected therewith.

 

Every new Security of any series issued pursuant to this Section in lieu of any destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall constitute an original additional contractual obligation of the Company, whether or not the destroyed, lost or stolen Security shall be at any time enforceable by anyone other than the Holder of such new Security, and any such new Security shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and proportionately with any and all other Securities of such series duly issued hereunder.

 

  

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The provisions of this Section are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other rights and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities.

 

SECTION 307.        Payment of Interest; Interest Rights Preserved.

 

Unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, interest on any Security which is payable, and is punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date shall be paid to the Person in whose name that Security (or one or more Predecessor Securities) is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date for such interest.

 

Any interest on any Security of any series which is payable, but is not punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (herein called “Defaulted Interest”) shall forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on the related Regular Record Date by virtue of having been such Holder, and such Defaulted Interest may be paid by the Company, at its election in each case, as provided in clause (a) or (b) below.

 

(a)           The Company may elect to make payment of any Defaulted Interest to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on a date (herein called a “Special Record Date”) for the payment of such Defaulted Interest, which shall be fixed in the following manner. The Company shall notify the Trustee in writing of the amount of Defaulted Interest proposed to be paid on each Security of such series and the date of the proposed payment, and at the same time the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount of money equal to the aggregate amount proposed to be paid in respect of such Defaulted Interest or shall make arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee for such deposit prior to the date of the proposed payment, such money when deposited to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such Defaulted Interest as in this clause provided. Thereupon the Trustee shall fix a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest which shall be not more than thirty (30) days and not less than ten (10) days prior to the date of the proposed payment and not less than twenty-five (25) days after the receipt by the Trustee of the notice of the proposed payment. The Trustee shall promptly notify the Company of such Special Record Date and, in the name and at the expense of the Company, shall, not less than fifteen (15) days prior to such Special Record Date, cause notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor to be mailed, first-class postage prepaid, to each Holder of Securities of such series at the address of such Holder as it appears in the Security Register. Notice of the proposed payment of such Defaulted Interest and the Special Record Date therefor having been so mailed, such Defaulted Interest shall be paid to the Persons in whose names the Securities of such series (or their respective Predecessor Securities) are registered at the close of business on such Special Record Date.

 

  

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(b)           The Company may make payment of any Defaulted Interest on the Securities of any series in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange on which such Securities may be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by such exchange, if, after notice given by the Company to the Trustee of the proposed payment pursuant to this clause, such manner of payment shall be deemed practicable, by the Trustee.

 

Subject to the foregoing provisions of this Section and Section 305, each Security delivered under this Indenture upon registration of transfer of or in exchange for or in lieu of any other Security shall carry the rights to interest accrued and unpaid, and to accrue, which were carried by such other Security.

 

SECTION 308.        Persons Deemed Owners.

 

The Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name any Security is registered as the absolute owner of such Security for the purpose of receiving payment of principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Sections 305 and 307) interest, if any, on such Security and for all other purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Security be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any agent of the Company or the Trustee shall be affected by notice to the contrary.

 

SECTION 309.        Cancellation by Security Registrar.

 

All Securities surrendered for payment, redemption, registration of transfer or exchange shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Security Registrar, be delivered to the Security Registrar and, if not theretofore canceled, shall be promptly canceled by the Security Registrar. The Company may at any time deliver to the Security Registrar for cancellation any Securities previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Company may have acquired in any manner whatsoever or which the Company shall not have issued and sold, and all Securities so delivered shall be promptly canceled by the Security Registrar. No Securities shall be authenticated in lieu of or in exchange for any Securities canceled as provided in this Section, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All canceled Securities held by the Security Registrar shall be disposed of in accordance with a Company Order delivered to the Security Registrar and the Trustee, and the Security Registrar shall promptly deliver a certificate of disposition to the Trustee and the Company unless, by a Company Order, similarly delivered, the Company shall direct that canceled Securities be returned to it. The Security Registrar shall promptly deliver evidence of any cancellation of a Security in accordance with this Section 309 to the Trustee and the Company.

 

SECTION 310.        Computation of Interest.

 

Except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, interest on the Securities of each series shall be computed on the basis of a three hundred sixty (360) day year consisting of twelve (12) thirty (30) day months and on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed within any month in relation to the deemed thirty (30) days of such month.

 

  

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SECTION 311.        Payment to Be in Proper Currency.

 

In the case of the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, denominated in any currency other than United States Dollars or in a composite currency (the “Required Currency”), except as otherwise specified with respect to such Securities as contemplated by Section 301, the obligation of the Company to make any payment of the principal thereof, or the premium, if any, or interest, if any, thereon, shall not be discharged or satisfied by any tender by the Company, or recovery by the Trustee, in any currency other than the Required Currency, except to the extent that such tender or recovery shall result in the Trustee timely holding the full amount of the Required Currency then due and payable. If any such tender or recovery is in a currency other than the Required Currency, the Trustee may take such actions as it considers appropriate to exchange such currency for the Required Currency. The costs and risks of any such exchange, including without limitation the risks of delay and exchange rate fluctuation, shall be borne by the Company, the Company shall remain fully liable for any shortfall or delinquency in the full amount of Required Currency then due and payable, and in no circumstances shall the Trustee be liable therefor except in the case of its negligence or willful misconduct.

 

SECTION 312.        Extension of Maturity and/or Interest Payment.

 

The Company shall have the right at any time to extend the Maturity and/or the interest payment periods on all the Securities of any series hereunder, if so specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Securities and upon such terms as may be specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Securities.

 

SECTION 313.        CUSIP Numbers.

 

The Company in issuing the Securities may use CUSIP numbers and/or other similar third-party identifiers (if then generally in use), and, if so, the Company, the Trustee or the Security Registrar may use CUSIP numbers or such other identifiers in notices of redemption as a convenience to Holders; provided; however, that any such notice may state that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers or other identifiers either as printed on the Securities or as contained in any notice of a redemption and that reliance may be placed only on the identification numbers assigned by the Company and printed on the Securities, in which case neither the Company nor, as the case may be, the Trustee or the Security Registrar, or any agent of any of them, shall have any liability in respect of any CUSIP number or other third-party identifier used on any such notice, and any such redemption shall not be affected by any defect in or omission of such numbers.  The Company shall as promptly as practicable notify the Trustee in writing of any change in CUSIP numbers or other identifiers.

 

  

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ARTICLE FOUR

 

Issuance of Securities

 

SECTION 401.        General.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 402, 403 or 404, whichever may be applicable, the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver Securities of a series, for original issue, at one time or from time to time in accordance with the Company Order referred to below, upon receipt by the Trustee of:

 

(a)           the instrument or instruments establishing the form or forms and terms of such series, as provided in Sections 201 and 301;

 

(b)           a Company Order requesting the authentication and delivery of such Securities and, to the extent that the terms of such Securities shall not have been established in an indenture supplemental hereto or in a Board Resolution, or in an Officer’s Certificate pursuant to a supplemental indenture or Board Resolution, all as contemplated by Sections 201 and 301, either (i) establishing such terms or (ii) in the case of Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, specifying procedures, acceptable to the Trustee, by which such terms are to be established (which procedures may provide for authentication and delivery pursuant to oral or electronic instructions from the Company or any agent or agents thereof, which oral instructions are to be promptly confirmed electronically or in writing), in either case in accordance with the instrument or instruments delivered pursuant to clause (a) above;

 

(c)           the Securities of such series, executed on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer;

 

(d)           a Net Earnings Certificate showing the Adjusted Net Earnings of the Company for the period therein specified to have been not less than an amount equal to twice the Annual Interest Requirements therein specified, all in accordance with the provisions of Section 103; provided, however, that the Trustee shall not be entitled to receive a Net Earnings Certificate hereunder with respect to Securities which are to have no Stated Interest Rate prior to Maturity; and provided, further, that, with respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, other than Securities of such series theretofore authenticated and delivered, as to which no Stated Interest Rate shall then have been established, (i) it shall be assumed in such Net Earnings Certificate that none of such Securities shall have a Stated Interest Rate in excess of a maximum rate to be stated therein, and, in such event, no Securities which would have a Stated Interest Rate at the time of the initial authentication and delivery thereof in excess of such maximum rate shall be authenticated and delivered under the authority of such Net Earnings Certificate and (ii) the Trustee shall be entitled to receive such Net Earnings Certificate only once, at or prior to the time of the first authentication and delivery of such Securities;

 

  

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(e)           an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that:

 

(i)            the form or forms of such Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture;

 

(ii)           the terms of such Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and

 

(iii)          such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee and issued and delivered by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will have been duly issued under this Indenture and will constitute valid obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefit of the Lien of this Indenture equally and ratably with all other Securities then Outstanding, subject to usual and customary assumptions, qualifications and exceptions;

 

provided, however, that, with respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive such Opinion of Counsel only once at or prior to the time of the first authentication and delivery of such Securities (provided that such Opinion of Counsel addresses the authentication and delivery of all such Securities) and that, in lieu of the opinions described in clauses (ii) and (iii) above, Counsel may opine that:

 

(x)           when the terms of such Securities shall have been established pursuant to a Company Order or Orders or pursuant to such procedures as may be specified from time to time by a Company Order or Orders, all as contemplated by and in accordance with the instrument or instruments delivered pursuant to clause (a) above, such terms will have been duly authorized by the Company and will have been established in conformity with the provisions of this Indenture; and

 

(y)           such Securities, when authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in accordance with this Indenture and the Company Order or Orders or the specified procedures referred to in paragraph (x) above and issued and delivered by the Company in the manner and subject to any conditions specified in such Opinion of Counsel, will have been duly issued under this Indenture and will constitute valid obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefit of the Lien of this Indenture equally and ratably with all other Securities then Outstanding, subject to usual and customary assumptions, qualifications and exceptions;

 

(f)            an Officer’s Certificate to the effect that, to the knowledge of the signer, no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; provided, however, that with respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, either (i) such an Officer’s Certificate shall be delivered at the time of the authentication and delivery of each Security of such series or (ii) the Officer’s Certificate delivered at or prior to the time of the first authentication and delivery of the Securities of such series shall state that the statements therein shall be deemed to be made at the time of each, or each subsequent, authentication and delivery of Securities of such series; and

 

  

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(g)           such other Opinions of Counsel, certificates and other documents as may be required under Section 402, 403 or 404, whichever may be applicable to the authentication and delivery of the Securities of such series.

 

With respect to Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the authorization by the Company of any of such Securities, the forms and terms thereof, the validity thereof and the compliance of the authentication and delivery thereof with the terms and conditions of this Indenture, upon the Opinion or Opinions of Counsel and the certificates and other documents delivered pursuant to this Article Four at or prior to the time of the first authentication and delivery of Securities of such series until any of such opinions, certificates or other documents have been superseded or revoked or expire by their terms. In connection with the authentication and delivery of Securities of a series subject to a Periodic Offering, the Trustee shall be entitled to assume that the Company’s instructions to authenticate and deliver such Securities do not violate any applicable law or any applicable rule, regulation or order of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the Company.

 

SECTION 402.        Issuance of Securities on the Basis of Property Additions.

 

(a)           Securities of any one or more series may be authenticated and delivered on the basis of Property Additions which do not constitute Funded Property in a principal amount not exceeding seventy percent (70%) of the balance of the Cost or the Fair Value to the Company of such Property Additions (whichever shall be less) after making any deductions and any additions pursuant to Section 104(b).

 

(b)           Securities of any series shall be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee on the basis of Property Additions upon receipt by the Trustee of:

 

(i)            the documents with respect to the Securities of such series specified in Section 401;

 

(ii)           an Expert’s Certificate dated as of a date not more than ninety (90) days prior to the date of the Company Order requesting the authentication and delivery of such Securities,

 

(A)          describing all property constituting Property Additions and designated by the Company, in its discretion, to be made the basis of the authentication and delivery of such Securities (such description to be made by reference, at the election of the Company, either to specified items, units and/or elements of property or portions thereof, on a percentage or Dollar basis, or to properties reflected in specified accounts or subaccounts in the Company’s books of account or portions thereof, on a Dollar basis), and stating the Cost thereof;

 

  

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(B)          stating that all such property constitutes Property Additions;

 

 (C)          stating that such Property Additions are desirable for use or possession in the conduct of the business of the Company; 

 

(D)          stating that such Property Additions, to the extent of the Cost or Fair Value to the Company thereof (whichever is less) to be made the basis of the authentication and delivery of such Securities, do not constitute Funded Property;

 

 (E)           stating, except as to Property Additions acquired, made or constructed wholly through the delivery of securities or other property or for which no determination of Cost is required under Section 1.04 (c) here of, that the amount of cash forming all or part of the Cost thereof was equal to or more than an amount to be stated therein; 

 

(F)           briefly describing, with respect to any Property Additions acquired, made or constructed in whole or in part through the delivery of securities or other property, the securities or other property so delivered and stating the date of such delivery;

 

(G)          stating what part, if any, of such Property Additions includes property which constitutes an Acquired Facility and stating whether or not, in the judgment of the signers, the Fair Value thereof to the Company, as of the date of such certificate, is less than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) and whether or not such Fair Value is less than one percent (1%) of the aggregate principal amount of Securities then Outstanding;

 

(H)          stating, in the judgment of the signers, the Fair Value to the Company, as of the date of such certificate, of such Property Additions, except any thereof with respect to the Fair Value to the Company of which a statement is to be made in an Independent Expert’s Certificate pursuant to clause (iii) below;

 

(I)            stating the amount required to be deducted under Section 104(b)(i) and the amount elected to be added under clauses (A), (B) and (C) of Section 104(b)(ii) in respect of Funded Property retired; and

 

(J)           stating that the Liens, if any, of the character described (I) in clause (d) of the definition of Permitted Liens to which any property included in such Property Additions is subject do not, in the judgment of the signers, materially impair the use by the Company of the Mortgaged Property considered as a whole, or (II) in clause (h)(ii) of the definition of Permitted Liens, stating that such Lien does not, in the judgment of the signers, materially impair the use by the Company of such property for the purposes for which it is held by the Company or (III) in clause (n)(ii) of the definition of Permitted Liens, stating that the enforcement of such Lien would not, in the judgment of the signers, adversely affect the interests of the Company in such property in any material respect;

 

  

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(iii)           in case any Property Additions are shown by the Expert’s Certificate provided for in clause (ii) above to include property which constitutes an Acquired Facility and such certificate does not show the Fair Value thereof to the Company, as of the date of such certificate, to be less than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) or less than one percent (1%) of the aggregate principal amount of Securities then Outstanding, an Independent Expert’s Certificate stating, in the judgment of the signer, the Fair Value to the Company, as of the date of such Independent Expert’s Certificate, of (X) such Property Additions which constitutes an Acquired Facility and (at the option of the Company) as to any other Property Additions included in the Expert’s Certificate provided for in clause (ii) above and (Y) in case such Independent Expert’s Certificate is being delivered in connection with the authentication and delivery of Securities, any property which constitutes an Acquired Facility and which has been subjected to the Lien of this Indenture since the commencement of the then current calendar year as the basis for the authentication and delivery of Securities and as to which an Independent Expert’s Certificate has not previously been furnished to the Trustee;

 

(iv)           in case any Property Additions are shown by the Expert’s Certificate provided for in clause (ii) above to have been acquired, made or constructed in whole or in part through the delivery of securities or other property, an Expert’s Certificate stating, in the judgment of the signers, the fair market value in cash of such securities or other property at the time of delivery thereof in payment for or for the acquisition of such Property Additions;

 

(v)           an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that:

 

 (A)          this Indenture constitutes or, upon the delivery of, and/or the filing and/or recording in the proper places and manner of, the document or instruments, if any, specified in said opinion, will constitute an effective Lien on such portion of the Mortgaged Property as consists of Property Additions that are to be made the basis of the authentication and delivery of such Securities, subject, to the knowledge of such counsel, to no Lien thereon prior to the Lien of this Indenture except Permitted Liens; and 

 

(B)           the Company has corporate power to own and/or operate (as applicable) such Property Additions; and

 

 (vi)          copies of the documents or instruments, if any, specified in the Opinion of Counsel provided for in clause (v) above. 

 

  

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SECTION 403.        Issuance of Securities on the Basis of Retired Securities.

 

(a)           Securities of any one or more series may be authenticated and delivered on the basis of, and in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding the aggregate principal amount of, Retired Securities.

 

(b)           Securities of any series shall be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee on the basis of Retired Securities upon receipt by the Trustee of:

 

(i)            the documents with respect to the Securities of such series specified in Section 401; provided, however, that no Net Earnings Certificate shall be required to be delivered; and

 

(ii)           an Officer’s Certificate stating that Retired Securities, specified by series, in an aggregate principal amount not less than the aggregate principal amount of Securities to be authenticated and delivered, have theretofore been authenticated and delivered and, as of the date of such Officer’s Certificate, constitute Retired Securities and are the basis for the authentication and delivery of such Securities.

 

SECTION 404.        Issuance of Securities on the Basis of Deposit of Cash.

 

(a)           Securities of any one or more series may be authenticated and delivered on the basis of, and in an aggregate principal amount not exceeding the amount of, any deposit with the Trustee of cash for such purpose.

 

(b)           Securities of any series shall be authenticated and delivered by the Trustee on the basis of the deposit of cash when the Trustee shall have received, in addition to such deposit, the documents with respect to the Securities of such series specified in Section 401.

 

(c)           All cash deposited with the Trustee under the provisions of this Section shall be held by the Trustee as a part of the Mortgaged Property and may be withdrawn from time to time by the Company, upon application of the Company to the Trustee, in an amount equal to the aggregate principal amount of Securities to the authentication and delivery of which the Company shall be entitled under any of the provisions of this Indenture by virtue of compliance with all applicable provisions of this Indenture (except as hereinafter in this subsection (c) otherwise provided).

 

Upon any such application for withdrawal, the Company shall comply with all applicable provisions of this Indenture relating to the authentication and delivery of Securities except that the Company shall not in any event be required to deliver the documents specified in Section 401.

 

Any withdrawal of cash under this subsection (c) shall operate as a waiver by the Company of its right to the authentication and delivery of the Securities on which it is based and such Securities may not thereafter be authenticated and delivered hereunder. Any Property Additions which have been made the basis of any such right to the authentication and delivery of Securities so waived shall have the status of Funded Property and shall be deemed to have been made the basis of the withdrawal of such cash; and any Retired Securities which have been made the basis of any such right to the authentication and delivery of Securities so waived shall be deemed to have been made the basis of the withdrawal of such cash.

 

  

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(d)           If at any time the Company shall so direct, any sums deposited with the Trustee under the provisions of this Section may be used or applied to the purchase, redemption or payment of Securities in the manner and subject to the conditions provided in clauses (d) and (e) of Section 706; provided, however, that, none of such cash shall be applied to the payment of more than the principal amount of any Securities so purchased, redeemed or paid, except to the extent that the aggregate principal amount of all Securities theretofore, and of all Securities then to be, purchased, redeemed and/or paid with cash deposited under this Section exceeds the aggregate cost for principal, premium, if any, interest, if any, and brokerage commission, if any, on or with respect to all Securities theretofore, and on or with respect to all Securities then to be, purchased, redeemed and/or paid with cash so deposited.

 

ARTICLE FIVE

 

Redemption of Securities

 

SECTION 501.        Applicability of Article.

 

Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, which are redeemable before their Stated Maturity shall be redeemable in accordance with their terms and (except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 for Securities of such series or Tranche) in accordance with this Article.

 

SECTION 502.        Election to Redeem; Notice to Trustee.

 

The election of the Company to redeem any Securities shall be evidenced by a Board Resolution or an Officer’s Certificate. The Company shall, at least forty-five (45) days prior to the Redemption Date fixed by the Company (unless a shorter notice shall be satisfactory to the Trustee), notify the Trustee in writing of such Redemption Date and of the principal amount of such Securities to be redeemed. In the case of any redemption of Securities (a) prior to the expiration of any restriction on such redemption provided in the terms of such Securities or elsewhere in this Indenture or (b) pursuant to an election of the Company which is subject to a condition specified in the terms of such Securities, the Company shall furnish the Trustee with an Officer’s Certificate evidencing compliance with such restriction or condition.

 

SECTION 503.        Selection of Securities to Be Redeemed.

 

If less than all the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, are to be redeemed, the particular Securities to be redeemed shall be selected by the Security Registrar from the Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranche not previously called for redemption, by such method as shall be provided for any particular series, or, in the absence of any such provision, by such method of random selection as the Security Registrar shall deem fair and appropriate and which may, in any case, provide for the selection for redemption of portions (equal to the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of such series or Tranche or any integral multiple thereof) of the principal amount of Securities of such series or Tranche of a denomination larger than the minimum authorized denomination for Securities of such series or Tranche; provided, however, that if, as indicated in an Officer’s Certificate, the Company shall have offered to purchase all or any principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding of any series, or any Tranche thereof, and less than all of such Securities as to which such offer was made shall have been tendered to the Company for such purchase, the Security Registrar, if so directed by Company Order, shall select for redemption all or any principal amount of such Securities which have not been so tendered.

 

  

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The Security Registrar shall promptly notify the Company and the Trustee in writing of the Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any Securities selected to be redeemed in part, the principal amount thereof to be redeemed.

 

For all purposes of this Indenture, unless the context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of Securities shall relate, in the case of any Securities redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the principal amount of such Securities which has been or is to be redeemed.

 

SECTION 504.        Notice of Redemption.

 

Notice of redemption shall be given in the manner provided in Section 109 to the Holders of the Securities to be redeemed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date.

 

All notices of redemption shall state:

 

(a)          the Redemption Date,

 

(b)         the Redemption Price,

 

(c)          if less than all the Securities of any series or Tranche are to be redeemed, the identification of the particular Securities to be redeemed and the portion of the principal amount of any Security to be redeemed in part,

 

(d)         that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date, will become due and payable upon each such Security to be redeemed and, if applicable, that interest thereon will cease to accrue on and after said date,

 

(e)         the place or places where such Securities are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any, unless it shall have been specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Securities that such surrender shall not be required;

 

(f)          that the redemption is for a sinking or other fund, if such is the case,

 

(g)         such other matters as the Company shall deem desirable or appropriate.

 

  

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With respect to any notice of redemption of Securities at the election of the Company, unless, upon the giving of such notice, such Securities shall be deemed to have been paid in accordance with Section 801, such notice may state that such redemption shall be conditional upon the receipt by the Paying Agent or Agents for such Securities, on or prior to the date fixed for such redemption, of money sufficient to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on such Securities and that if such money shall not have been so received such notice shall be of no force or effect and the Company shall not be required to redeem such Securities. In the event that such notice of redemption contains such a condition and such money is not so received, the redemption shall not be made and within a reasonable time thereafter notice shall be given, in the manner in which the notice of redemption was given, that such money was not so received and such redemption was not required to be made, and the Paying Agent or Agents for the Securities otherwise to have been redeemed shall promptly return to the Holders thereof any of such Securities which had been surrendered for payment upon such redemption.

 

Notice of redemption of Securities to be redeemed at the election of the Company, and any notice of non-satisfaction of a condition for redemption as aforesaid, shall be given by the Company or, at the Company’s request, by the Security Registrar in the name and at the expense of the Company. Notice of mandatory redemption of Securities shall be given by the Security Registrar in the name and at the expense of the Company.

 

SECTION 505.        Securities Payable on Redemption Date.

 

Notice of redemption having been given as aforesaid, and the conditions, if any, set forth in such notice having been satisfied, the Securities or portions thereof so to be redeemed shall, on the Redemption Date, become due and payable at the Redemption Price therein specified, and from and after such date (unless, in the case of an unconditional notice of redemption, the Company shall default in the payment of the Redemption Price and accrued interest, if any) such Securities or portions thereof, if interest-bearing, shall cease to bear interest. Upon surrender of any such Security for redemption in accordance with such notice, such Security or portion thereof shall be paid by the Company at the Redemption Price, together with accrued interest, if any, to the Redemption Date; provided, however, that no such surrender shall be a condition to such payment if so specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Security; and provided, further, that, except as otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to such Security, any installment of interest on any Security the Stated Maturity of which is on or prior to the Redemption Date shall be payable to the Holder of such Security, or one or more Predecessor Securities, registered as such at the close of business on the related Regular Record Date according to the terms of such Security and subject to the provisions of Section 307.

 

SECTION 506.        Securities Redeemed in Part.

 

Upon the surrender of any Security which is to be redeemed only in part at a Place of Payment therefor (with, if the Company or the Trustee so requires, due endorsement by, or a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing), the Company shall execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver to the Holder of such Security, without service charge, a new Security or Securities of the same series and Tranche, of any authorized denomination requested by such Holder and of like tenor and in aggregate principal amount equal to and in exchange for the unredeemed portion of the principal of the Security so surrendered.

 

  

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ARTICLE SIX

 

Covenants

 

SECTION 601.        Payment of Securities; Lawful Possession; Maintenance of Lien.

 

(a)           The Company shall pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities of each series in accordance with the terms of such Securities and this Indenture.

 

(b)           At the Effective Date, and subject to Permitted Liens, the Company is lawfully possessed of the Mortgaged Property and has good right and lawful authority to mortgage and pledge the Mortgaged Property.

 

(c)           The Company shall maintain and preserve the Lien of this Indenture on the Mortgaged Property, subject to the Permitted Liens, so long as any Securities shall remain Outstanding.

 

SECTION 602.        Maintenance of Office or Agency.

 

The Company shall maintain in each Place of Payment for the Securities of each series, or any Tranche thereof, an office or agency where payment of such Securities shall be made, where the registration of transfer or exchange of such Securities may be effected and where notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of such Securities and this Indenture may be served. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee of the location, and any change in the location, of each such office or agency and prompt notice to the Holders of any such change in the manner specified in Section 109. If at any time the Company shall fail to maintain any such required office or agency in respect of Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, or shall fail to furnish the Trustee with the address thereof, payment of such Securities shall be made, registration of transfer or exchange thereof may be effected and notices and demands in respect thereof may be served at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, and the Company hereby appoints the Trustee as its agent for all such purposes in any such event.

 

The Company may also from time to time designate one or more other offices or agencies with respect to the Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche thereof, for any or all of the foregoing purposes and may from time to time rescind such designations; provided, however, that, unless otherwise specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of such series or Tranche, no such designation or rescission shall in any manner relieve the Company of its obligation to maintain an office or agency for such purposes in each Place of Payment for such Securities in accordance with the requirements set forth above. The Company shall give prompt written notice to the Trustee, and prompt notice to the Holders in the manner specified in Section 109, of any such designation or rescission and of any change in the location of any such other office or agency.

 

  

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Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, any office or agency required by this Section may be maintained at an office of the Company, in which event the Company shall perform all functions to be performed at such office or agency.

 

SECTION 603.        Money for Securities Payments to Be Held in Trust.

 

If the Company shall at any time act as its own Paying Agent with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on any of such Securities, segregate and hold in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto a sum sufficient to pay the principal and premium or interest so becoming due until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided. The Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any failure by the Company (or any other obligor on such Securities) to make any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Securities.

 

Whenever the Company shall have one or more Paying Agents for the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, it shall, on or before each due date of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on such Securities, deposit with such Paying Agents sums sufficient (without duplication) to pay the principal and premium or interest so becoming due, such sums to be held in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled to such principal, premium or interest, and (unless such Paying Agent is the Trustee) the Company shall promptly notify the Trustee of any failure by it so to act.

 

The Company shall cause each Paying Agent for the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, other than the Company or the Trustee, to execute and deliver to the Trustee an instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee, subject to the provisions of this Section, that such Paying Agent shall:

 

(a)           hold all sums held by it for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Securities in trust for the benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided;

 

(b)           give the Trustee notice of any failure by the Company (or any other obligor upon such Securities) to make any payment of principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on such Securities; and

 

(c)           at any time during the continuance of any such default, upon the written request of the Trustee, forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying Agent and furnish to the Trustee such information as it possesses regarding the names and addresses of the Persons entitled to such sums.

 

The Company may at any time pay, or by Company Order direct any Paying Agent to pay, to the Trustee all sums held in trust by the Company or such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by the Trustee upon the same trusts as those upon which such sums were held by the Company or such Paying Agent and, if so stated in a Company Order delivered to the Trustee, in accordance with the provisions of Article Eight; and, upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such Paying Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to such money.

 

  

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Any money deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent, or then held by the Company, in trust for the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security and remaining unclaimed for two years after such principal and premium, if any, or interest, if any, has become due and payable shall be paid to the Company on Company Request, or, if then held by the Company, shall be discharged from such trust; and, upon such payment or discharge, the Holder of such Security shall, as an unsecured general creditor and not as the Holder of an Outstanding Security, look only to the Company for payment of the amount so due and payable and remaining unpaid, and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect to such trust money, and all liability of the Company as trustee thereof, shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or such Paying Agent, before being required to make any such payment to the Company, may at the expense of the Company cause to be mailed, on one occasion only, notice to such Holder that such money remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall not be less than thirty (30) days from the date of such mailing, any unclaimed balance of such money then remaining will be paid to the Company.

 

SECTION 604.        Corporate Existence.

 

Subject to the rights of the Company under Article Twelve, the Company shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep its corporate existence in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 605.        Maintenance of Properties.

 

 The Company shall cause (or, with respect to property owned in common with others, make reasonable effort to cause) the tangible Mortgaged Property, as an operating system or systems, to be maintained and kept in all material respects in good condition, repair and working order and shall cause (or, with respect to property owned in common with others, make reasonable effort to cause) to be made such repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof, as, in the judgment of the Company, may be necessary in order that the operation of the tangible Mortgaged Property, considered as an operating system or systems, may be conducted in accordance with common industry practice; provided, however, that nothing in this Section shall prevent the Company from discontinuing, or causing the discontinuance of, the operation and maintenance of any of its properties if such discontinuance is, in the judgment of the Company, desirable in the conduct of its business; and provided, further, that nothing in this Section shall prevent the Company from selling, transferring or otherwise disposing of, or causing the sale, transfer or other disposition of, any portion of the Mortgaged Property in compliance with the other Articles of this Indenture. 

 

SECTION 606.        Payment of Taxes; Discharge of Liens.

 

The Company shall pay all material taxes and assessments and other governmental charges lawfully levied or assessed upon the Mortgaged Property, or upon any part thereof, or upon the interest of the Trustee in the Mortgaged Property, before the same shall become delinquent, and shall make reasonable effort to observe and conform in all material respects to all valid requirements of any Governmental Authority relative to any of the Mortgaged Property and all covenants, terms and conditions upon or under which any of the Mortgaged Property is held; and the Company shall not suffer any Lien to be hereafter created upon the Mortgaged Property, or any part thereof, prior to the Lien hereof, other than Permitted Liens; provided, however, that nothing in this Section contained shall require the Company (i) to observe or conform to any requirement of Governmental Authority or to cause to be paid or discharged, or to make provision for, any such Lien, or to pay any such tax, assessment or governmental charge so long as the validity thereof shall be contested in good faith and by appropriate legal proceedings, or (ii) to pay, discharge or make provisions for any tax, assessment or other governmental charge, the validity of which shall not be so contested if adequate security for the payment of such tax, assessment or other governmental charge and for any penalties or interest which may reasonably be anticipated from failure to pay the same shall be given to the Trustee.

 

  

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SECTION 607.        Insurance.

 

 (a)           The Company shall (i) keep or cause to be kept all the tangible property subject to the Lien of this Indenture insured against loss by fire, to the extent that property of similar character is usually so insured by companies similarly situated and operating like properties, to a reasonable amount, by reputable insurance companies, the proceeds of such insurance (except as to any loss of materials and supplies and except as to any particular loss less than (A) Seventy-Five Million Dollars ($75,000,000) or, if greater, (B) three percent (3%) of the principal amount of Securities Outstanding on the date of such particular loss) to be made payable, subject to applicable law, to the Trustee as the interest of the Trustee may appear, or to the trustee or other holder of any Lien prior hereto upon property subject to the Lien hereof, if the terms thereof require such payment or (ii) in lieu of or supplementing such insurance in whole or in part, adopt some other method or plan of protection against loss by fire at least equal in protection to the method or plan of protection against loss by fire of companies similarly situated and operating properties subject to similar fire hazards or properties on which an equal primary fire insurance rate has been set by reputable insurance companies; and if the Company shall adopt such other method or plan of protection, it shall, subject to applicable law (and except as to any loss of materials and supplies and except as to any particular loss less than (X) Seventy-Five Million Dollars ($75,000,000) or, if greater, (Y) three percent (3%) of the principal amount of Securities Outstanding on the date of such particular loss) pay to the Trustee on account of any loss covered by such method or plan an amount in cash equal to the amount of such loss less any amounts otherwise paid to the Trustee, or to the trustee or other holder of any Lien prior hereto upon property subject to the Lien hereof, if the terms thereof require such payment. Any cash so required to be paid by the Company pursuant to any such method or plan shall for the purposes of this Indenture be deemed to be proceeds of insurance. In case of the adoption of such other method or plan of protection, the Company shall also furnish to the Trustee a certificate of an actuary or other qualified person appointed by the Company with respect to the adequacy of such method or plan. 

 

Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the Company may have fire insurance policies with (i) a deductible provision in a dollar amount per occurrence not exceeding (A) Seventy-Five Million Dollars ($75,000,000) or, if greater, (B) three percent (3%) of the principal amount of the Securities Outstanding on the date such policy goes into effect, and/or (ii) co-insurance or self insurance provisions with a dollar amount per occurrence not exceeding thirty percent (30%) of the loss proceeds otherwise payable; provided, however, that the dollar amount described in clause (i) above may be exceeded to the extent such dollar amount per occurrence is below the deductible amount in effect as to fire insurance (X) on property of similar character insured by companies similarly situated and operating like property or (Y) on property as to which an equal primary fire insurance rate has been set by reputable insurance companies.

 

  

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(b)           All moneys paid to the Trustee by the Company in accordance with this Section or received by the Trustee as proceeds of any insurance, in either case on account of a loss on or with respect to Funded Property, shall, subject to the requirements of any Lien prior hereto upon property subject to the Lien hereof, be held by the Trustee and, subject as aforesaid, shall be paid by it to the Company to reimburse the Company for an equal amount expended or committed for expenditure in the rebuilding, renewal and/or replacement of the property destroyed or damaged, upon receipt by the Trustee of:

 

(i)             a Company Request requesting such payment,

 

(ii)           an Expert’s Certificate stating the amounts so expended or committed for expenditure and the nature of such rebuilding, renewal and/or replacement and the Fair Value to the Company of the property rebuilt or renewed or to be rebuilt or renewed, and/or of the replacement property, and if

 

(A)         any portion of such replaced property is an Acquired Facility, and

 

(B)          the Fair Value to the Company of such property as set forth in such Expert’s Certificate is not less than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) and not less than one percent (1%) of the principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding,

 

the Expert making such certificate shall be an Independent Expert, and

 

(iii)          an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of the signer, the property so rebuilt or renewed or to be rebuilt or renewed, and/or the replacement property, is or will be subject to the Lien hereof to the same extent as was the property so destroyed or damaged.

 

Any such money not so applied within thirty-six (36) months after its receipt by the Trustee, or in respect of which notice in writing of intention to apply the same to the work of rebuilding or renewal then in progress and uncompleted shall not have been given to the Trustee by the Company within such thirty-six (36) months, or which the Company shall at any time notify the Trustee is not to be so applied, shall thereafter be withdrawn, used or applied in the manner, to the extent and for the purposes, and subject to the conditions, provided in Section 706.

 

Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, if property on or with respect to which a loss occurs constitutes Funded Property in part only, the Company may, at its election, obtain the reimbursement of insurance proceeds attributable to the part of such property which constitutes Funded Property under this subsection (b) and obtain the reimbursement of insurance proceeds attributable to the part of such property which does not constitute Funded Property under subsection (c) of this Section 607.

 

  

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(c)           All moneys paid to the Trustee by the Company in accordance with this Section or received by the Trustee as proceeds of any insurance, in either case on account of a loss on or with respect to property which does not constitute Funded Property, shall, subject to the requirements of any Lien prior hereto upon property subject to the Lien hereof, be held by the Trustee and, subject as aforesaid, shall be paid by it to the Company upon receipt by the Trustee of:

 

(i)            a Company Request requesting such payment;

 

(ii)           an Expert’s Certificate stating:

 

(A)           that such moneys were paid to or received by the Trustee on account of a loss on or with respect to property which does not constitute Funded Property; and

 

(B)           if true, either (I) that the aggregate amount of the Cost or Fair Value to the Company (whichever is less) of all Property Additions which do not constitute Funded Property (excluding, to the extent of such loss, the property on or with respect to which such loss was incurred), after making deductions therefrom and additions thereto of the character contemplated by Section 104, is not less than zero or (II) that the amount of such loss does not exceed the aggregate Cost or Fair Value to the Company (whichever is less) of Property Additions acquired, made or constructed on or after the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the date of the Company Request requesting such payment; or

 

(C)           if neither of the statements contemplated in subclause (B) above can be made, the amount by which zero exceeds the amount referred to in subclause (B)(I) above (showing in reasonable detail the calculation thereof); and

 

(iii)           if the Expert’s Certificate required by clause (ii) above contains neither of the statements contemplated in clause (ii)(B) above, an amount in cash, to be held by the Trustee as part of the Mortgaged Property, equal to the amount shown in clause (ii)(C) above.

 

To the extent that the Company shall be entitled to withdraw proceeds of insurance pursuant to this subsection (c), such proceeds shall be deemed not to constitute Funded Cash.

 

(d)           Whenever under the provisions of this Section the Company is required to deliver moneys to the Trustee and at the same time shall have otherwise satisfied the conditions set forth herein for payment of moneys by the Trustee, there shall be paid to or retained by the Trustee or paid to the Company, as the case may be, only the net amount.

 

  

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(e)           TEXAS FINANCE CODE SECTION 307.052 COLLATERAL PROTECTION INSURANCE NOTICE:  (a) THE COMPANY IS REQUIRED TO:  (i) KEEP THE MORTGAGED PROPERTY INSURED AGAINST DAMAGE IN THE AMOUNT THE TRUSTEE SPECIFIES, (ii) PURCHASE THE INSURANCE FROM AN INSURER THAT IS AUTHORIZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS OR AN ELIGIBLE SURPLUS LINES INSURER; AND (iii) NAME THE TRUSTEE AS THE PERSON TO BE PAID UNDER THE POLICY IN THE EVENT OF A LOSS; (B) THE COMPANY MUST, IF REQUIRED BY THE TRUSTEE, DELIVER TO THE TRUSTEE A COPY OF THE POLICY AND PROOF OF THE PAYMENT OF PREMIUMS; AND (C) IF THE COMPANY FAILS TO MEET ANY REQUIREMENT LISTED IN PARAGRAPH (A) OR (B), THE TRUSTEE MAY OBTAIN COLLATERAL PROTECTION INSURANCE ON BEHALF OF COMPANY AT COMPANY’S EXPENSE. Nothing in this subsection (e) or in subsection (f) below shall be construed to modify any other provision of this Section 607.

 

(f)            Notwithstanding anything in this Indenture to the contrary, the Company is not required to furnish evidence of insurance more than fifteen (15) days prior to the termination date of any policy of insurance required under this Indenture as to the Mortgaged Property.

 

SECTION 608.        Recording, Filing, etc.

 

The Company shall cause this Indenture and all indentures and instruments supplemental hereto (or notices, memoranda or financing statements as may be recorded or filed to place third parties on notice thereof) to be promptly recorded and filed and re-recorded and re-filed in such manner and in such places, as may be required by law in order fully to preserve the liens and security interests created hereby, to the extent such preservation may be accomplished by recording or filing, so as to protect the security hereof for the benefit of the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities, and shall furnish to the Trustee:

 

(a)           promptly after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, an Opinion of Counsel either stating that in the opinion of such counsel this Indenture (or notice, memorandum or financing statement in connection therewith) has been properly recorded and filed, so as to make effective, upon the issuance of Securities hereunder, the Lien intended to be created hereby or thereby, and reciting the details of such action. The Company shall be deemed to be in compliance with this subsection (a) if (i) the Opinion of Counsel herein required to be delivered to the Trustee shall state that this Indenture (or notice, memorandum or financing statement in connection therewith) has been received for recording or filing in each jurisdiction in which it is required to be recorded or filed and that, in the opinion of counsel (if such is the case), such receipt for recording or filing will make effective, upon the issuance of Securities hereunder,  the Lien intended to be created by this Indenture, and (ii) such opinion is delivered to the Trustee within such time, following the date of the execution and delivery of this Indenture, as shall be practicable having due regard to the number and distance of the offices in which this Indenture (or notice, memorandum or financing statement in connection therewith) is required to be recorded or filed;

 

  

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(b)           promptly after the execution and delivery of each supplemental indenture, an Opinion of Counsel either stating that in the opinion of such counsel such supplemental indenture (or notice, memorandum or financing statement in connection therewith) has been properly recorded and filed, so as to make effective (or to continue the effectiveness of) the Lien intended to be created hereby or thereby, and reciting the details of such action, or stating that in the opinion of such counsel no such action is necessary to make such Lien effective or to continue its effectiveness. The Company shall be deemed to be in compliance with this subsection (b) if (i) the Opinion of Counsel herein required to be delivered to the Trustee shall state that such supplemental indenture (or notice, memorandum or financing statement in connection therewith) has been received for recording or filing in each jurisdiction in which it is required to be recorded or filed and that, in the opinion of counsel (if such is the case), such receipt for recording or filing causes the Lien intended to be created by such supplemental indenture to become or continue to be effective, and (ii) such opinion is delivered to the Trustee within such time, following the date of the execution and delivery of such supplemental indenture, as shall be practicable having due regard to the number and distance of the offices in which such supplemental indenture (or notice, memorandum or financing statement in connection therewith) is required to be recorded or filed; and

 

(c)           on or before [**June 1] of each year, beginning in [**2012], an Opinion of Counsel stating either (i) that in the opinion of the signer such action has been taken, since the date of the most recent Opinion of Counsel furnished pursuant to this subsection (c) or the first Opinion of Counsel furnished pursuant to subsection (b) of this Section, with respect to the recording, filing, re-recording, and re-filing of this Indenture and of each indenture supplemental to this Indenture (or notice, memorandum or financing statement in connection therewith), as is necessary to maintain the Lien hereof with respect to all Mortgaged Property owned by the Company as of the last day of the most recent calendar year, or (ii) that in the opinion of such counsel no such action is necessary to maintain such Lien.

 

The Company shall execute and deliver such supplemental indenture or indentures and such further instruments and do such further acts as may be necessary or proper to carry out the purposes of this Indenture and to make subject to the Lien hereof any property hereafter acquired, made or constructed that is intended to be subject to the Lien hereof, and to transfer to any new trustee or trustees or co-trustee or co-trustees, the estate, powers, instruments or funds held in trust hereunder.

 

  

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SECTION 609.        Waiver of Certain Covenants.

 

The Company may omit in any particular instance to comply with any term, provision or condition set forth in (a) Section 602 or any additional covenant or restriction specified with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, as contemplated by Section 301 if before the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series and Tranches with respect to which compliance with Section 602 or such additional covenant or restriction is to be omitted, considered as one class, shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition and (b) Section 604, 605, 606, 607 or 608 or Article Twelve if before the time for such compliance the Holders of at least a majority in principal amount of Securities Outstanding under this Indenture shall, by Act of such Holders, either waive such compliance in such instance or generally waive compliance with such term, provision or condition; but, in either case, no such waiver shall extend to or affect such term, provision or condition except to the extent so expressly waived, and, until such waiver shall become effective, the obligations of the Company and the duties of the Trustee in respect of any such term, provision or condition shall remain in full force and effect.

 

SECTION 610.        Annual Officer’s Certificate as to Compliance.

 

Not later than [________] 1 in each year, commencing ___________, 2012, the Company shall deliver to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate which need not comply with Section 105, executed by the principal executive officer, the principal financial officer or the principal accounting officer of the Company, as to such officer’s knowledge of the Company’s compliance with all conditions and covenants under this Indenture, such compliance to be determined without regard to any period of grace or requirement of notice under this Indenture.

 

ARTICLE SEVEN

 

Possession, Use and Release of Mortgaged Property

 

SECTION 701.        Quiet Enjoyment.

 

Unless one or more Events of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Company shall be permitted to possess, use and enjoy the Mortgaged Property (except, to the extent not herein otherwise provided, such cash and securities as are expressly required to be deposited with the Trustee).

 

SECTION 702.        Dispositions without Release.

 

Unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Company may at any time and from time to time, without any release or consent by, or report to, the Trustee:

 

(a)           sell or otherwise dispose of, free from the Lien of this Indenture, any machinery, apparatus, equipment, frames, towers, poles, wire, pipe, cable, conduit, mains, tubes, drains, valves, tools, implements or furniture, or any other fixtures or personalty, then subject to the Lien hereof, which shall have become old, inadequate, obsolete, worn out, unfit, unadapted, unserviceable, undesirable or unnecessary for use in the operations of the Company, provided that to the extent the aggregate Fair Value of the property so sold or disposed of in a given calendar year, together with all other property theretofore sold or disposed of pursuant to this Section 702(a) in such calendar year, exceeds Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000) or, if greater, three percent (3%) of the aggregate principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding, the Company shall replace the same by, or substitute for the same, similar or analogous property, or other property performing a similar or analogous function or otherwise obviating the need therefor, having a Fair Value to the Company at least equal to that of the property sold or otherwise disposed of and subject to the Lien hereof, subject to no Liens prior hereto except Permitted Liens and any other Liens to which the property sold or otherwise disposed of was subject;

 

  

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(b)           cancel or make changes or alterations in or substitutions for any and all easements, servitudes, rights of way and similar rights and/or interests; and

 

(c)           grant, free from the Lien of this Indenture, easements, ground leases or rights of way in, upon, over and/or across the property or rights of way of the Company for the purpose of roads, pipe lines, transmission lines, distribution lines, communication lines, railways, removal or transportation of coal, lignite, gas, oil or other minerals or timber, and other like purposes, or for the joint or common use of real property, rights of way, facilities and/or equipment; provided, however, that such grant shall not materially impair the use of the property or rights of way for the purposes for which such property or rights of way are held by the Company.

 

SECTION 703.        Release of Funded Property.

 

Unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Company may obtain the release of any part of the Mortgaged Property, or any interest therein, which constitutes Funded Property, except cash then held by the Trustee (provided, however, that obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien deposited with the Trustee shall not be released except as provided in Section 706), and the Trustee shall release all its right, title and interest in and to the same from the Lien hereof, upon receipt by the Trustee of:

 

(a)           a Company Order requesting the release of such property;

 

(b)           an Officer’s Certificate stating that, to the knowledge of the signer, no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;

 

(c)           an Expert’s Certificate made and dated not more than ninety (90) days prior to the date of such Company Order:

 

(i)           describing the property to be released;

 

(ii)          stating the Fair Value, in the judgment of the signers, of the property to be released;

 

(iii)         stating the Cost of the property to be released (or, if the Fair Value to the Company of such property at the time the same became Funded Property was less than the Cost thereof, then such Fair Value, in the judgment of the signers, in lieu of Cost);

 

  

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(iv)         stating that (except in any case where a Governmental Authority has ordered the Company to divest itself of such property) such release is, in the judgment of the signers, desirable in the conduct of business of the Company; and

 

(v)          stating that, in the judgment of the signers, such release will not impair the security under this Indenture in contravention of the provisions hereof;

 

(d)           an amount in cash to be held by the Trustee as part of the Mortgaged Property, equal to the amount, if any, by which the amount referred to in clause (c)(iii) above exceeds the aggregate of the following items:

 

(i)           the aggregate principal amount, subject to the limitation stated below in this clause (d), of any obligations delivered to the Trustee, to be held as part of the Mortgaged Property, consisting of obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien upon the property to be released;

 

(ii)           the Cost or Fair Value to the Company (whichever is less), after making any deductions and any additions pursuant to Section 104, of any Property Additions not constituting Funded Property described in an Expert’s Certificate, dated not more than ninety (90) days prior to the date of the Company Order requesting such release and complying with Section 402(b)(ii), delivered to the Trustee; provided, however, that the deductions and additions contemplated by Section 104 shall not be required to be made if such Property Additions were acquired, made or constructed on or after the ninetieth (90th) day preceding the date of such Company Order;

 

(iii)           an amount equal to ten-sevenths (10/7) of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to the authentication and delivery of which the Company shall be entitled under the provisions of Section 403, by virtue of compliance with all applicable provisions of Section 403 (except as hereinafter in this Section otherwise provided); provided, however, that such release shall operate as a waiver by the Company of the right to the authentication and delivery of such Securities and, to such extent, no such Securities may thereafter be authenticated and delivered hereunder; and any Securities which were the basis of such right to the authentication and delivery of Securities so waived shall be deemed to have been made the basis of such release of property;

 

(iv)           the aggregate principal amount, subject to the limitations stated below in this clause (d), of any obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien upon the property to be released and/or any amount in cash that, in either case, is evidenced to the Trustee by a certificate of the trustee or other holder of a Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture to have been received by such trustee or other holder in accordance with the provisions of such Lien in consideration for the release of such property or any part thereof from such Lien;

 

  

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(v)           an amount equal to ten-sevenths (10/7) of the aggregate principal amount of any Outstanding Securities delivered to the Trustee; and

 

(vi)           any taxes and expenses incidental to any sale, exchange, dedication or other disposition of the property to be released;

 

provided, however, that (x) no obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien upon any property being released from the Lien hereof shall be used as a credit in connection with such release unless all obligations secured by such Purchase Money Lien shall be delivered to the Trustee or to the trustee or other holder of a Lien upon such property prior to the Lien of this Indenture; (y) the aggregate credit which may be used pursuant to subclause (i) and subclause (iv) of this clause (d) in respect of obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien upon property being released shall not exceed seventy percent (70%) of the Fair Value of the property to be released, as specified in such Expert’s Certificate; and (z) no obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien shall be used as a credit in connection with the release of property hereunder, if the aggregate credit in respect of such obligations to be used by the Company pursuant to subclause (i) and subclause (iv) of this clause (d) plus the aggregate credits used by the Company pursuant to said subclause (i) and subclause (iv) in connection with all previous releases of property from the Lien hereof on the basis of purchase money obligations theretofore delivered to and then held by the Trustee or the trustee or other holder of a Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture shall, immediately after the release then being applied for, exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the aggregate principal amount of Securities then Outstanding;

 

(e)           if the release is on the basis of Property Additions or on the basis of the right to the authentication and delivery of Securities under Section 403, all documents contemplated by the next following full paragraph in this Section; and

 

(f)           if any obligations secured by Purchase Money Lien upon the property to be released are included in the consideration for such release and are delivered to the Trustee or to the trustee or other holder of a Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture in connection with such release, an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of the signer, such obligations are valid obligations, entitled to the benefit of such Lien equally and ratably with all other obligations then secured thereby, and that the Purchase Money Lien securing the same constitutes a valid Lien upon the property to be released, subject to usual and customary assumptions, qualifications and exceptions.

 

  

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If and to the extent that the release of property is, in whole or in part, based upon Property Additions (as permitted under the provisions of clause (d)(ii) of this Section), the Company shall, subject to the provisions of said clause (d)(ii) and except as hereafter in this paragraph provided, comply with all applicable provisions of this Indenture as if such Property Additions were to be made the basis of the authentication and delivery of Securities equal in principal amount to seventy percent (70%) of the Cost (or, as to property of which the Fair Value to the Company at the time the same became Funded Property was less than the Cost thereof, such Fair Value in lieu of Cost) of that portion of the property to be released which is to be released on the basis of such Property Additions, as shown by the Expert’s Certificate required by clause (c) of this Section; provided, however, that the Cost of any Property Additions received or to be received by the Company in whole or in part as consideration in exchange for the property to be released shall for all purposes of this Indenture be deemed to be the amount stated in the Expert’s Certificate provided for in clause (c) of this Section to be the Fair Value of the property to be released (x) plus the amount of any cash and the fair market value of any other consideration, further to be stated in such Expert’s Certificate, paid and/or delivered or to be paid and/or delivered by, and the amount of any obligations assumed or to be assumed by, the Company in connection with such exchange as additional consideration for such Property Additions and/or (y) less the amount of any cash and the fair market value to the Company of any other consideration, which shall also be stated in such Expert’s Certificate, received or to be received by the Company in connection with such exchange in addition to such Property Additions. If and to the extent that the release of property is in whole or in part based upon the right to the authentication and delivery of Securities under Section 403 (as permitted under the provisions of clause (d)(iii) of this Section), the Company shall, except as hereafter in this paragraph provided, comply with all applicable provisions of Section 403 relating to such authentication and delivery. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, in no event shall the Company be required to deliver the documents specified in Section 401.

 

If (a) any property to be released from the Lien of this Indenture under any provision of this Article (other than Section 707) is subject to a Lien prior to the Lien hereof and is to be sold, exchanged, dedicated or otherwise disposed of subject to such prior Lien and (b) after such release, such prior Lien will not be a Lien on any Mortgaged Property, then the Fair Value of such property to be released shall be deemed, for all purposes of this Indenture, to be the value thereof unencumbered by such prior Lien less the principal amount of the indebtedness secured by such prior Lien.

 

Any Outstanding Securities deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (d) of this Section shall forthwith be canceled by the Trustee. Any cash and/or obligations so deposited with the Trustee, and the proceeds of any such obligations, shall be held as part of the Mortgaged Property and shall be withdrawn, released, used or applied in the manner, to the extent and for the purposes, and subject to the conditions, provided in Section 706.

 

All purchase money obligations and the Liens securing the same delivered to the Trustee pursuant to this Section shall be duly assigned to the Trustee. The Company shall cause any such Purchase Money Lien and the assignment thereof to be promptly recorded and filed in such place or places as shall be required by law in order fully to preserve and protect the security afforded thereby and shall furnish to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel stating that, in the opinion of the signer, such Purchase Money Lien and the assignment thereof have been properly recorded and filed so as to make effective the Lien intended to be created thereby. Should any re-recording or re-filing be necessary at any time or from time to time, the Company shall likewise cause the same to be duly effected and shall, in each case, furnish to the Trustee an Opinion of Counsel similar to the foregoing. The Trustee shall deliver to the Company any Purchase Money Lien and/or assignment thereof whenever required for the purpose of recording or filing or re-recording or re-filing, as evidenced by an Opinion of Counsel, and the same shall be promptly returned to the Trustee when such purposes shall have been accomplished.

 

  

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Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, if property to be released constitutes Funded Property in part only, the Company shall obtain the release of the part of such property which constitutes Funded Property under this Section 703 and obtain the release of the part of such property which does not constitute Funded Property under Section 704. In such event, (a) the application of Property Additions in the release under this Section 703 as contemplated in clause (d)(ii) in the first paragraph thereof shall be taken into account in clause (v) or clause (vi), whichever may be applicable, of the Expert’s Certificate described in clause (c) in Section 704 and (b) the Trustee shall, at the election of the Company, execute and deliver a separate instrument of release with respect to the property released under each of such Sections or a consolidated instrument of release with respect to the property released under both of such Sections considered as a whole.

 

SECTION 704.        Release of Property Not Constituting Funded Property.

 

Unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Company may obtain the release of any part of the Mortgaged Property, or any interest therein, which is not Funded Property, and the Trustee shall release all its right, title and interest in and to the same from the Lien hereof, upon receipt by the Trustee of:

 

(a)           a Company Order requesting the release of such property;

 

(b)           an Officer’s Certificate stating that, to the knowledge of the signer, no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;

 

(c)           an Expert’s Certificate, made and dated not more than ninety (90) days prior to the date of such Company Order:

 

(i)           describing the property to be released;

 

(ii)          stating the Fair Value, in the judgment of the signers, of the property to be released;

 

(iii)         stating the Cost of the property to be released;

 

(iv)         stating that the property to be released is not Funded Property;

 

(v)           if true, stating either (A) that the aggregate amount of the Cost or Fair Value to the Company (whichever is less) of all Property Additions which do not constitute Funded Property (excluding the property to be released), after making deductions therefrom and additions thereto of the character contemplated by Section 104, is not less than zero or (B) that the Cost or Fair Value (whichever is less) of the property to be released does not exceed the aggregate Cost or Fair Value to the Company (whichever is less) of Property Additions acquired, made or constructed on or after the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the date of the Company Order requesting such release;

 

  

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(vi)         if neither of the statements contemplated in subclause (v) above can be made, stating the amount by which zero exceeds the amount referred to in subclause (v)(A) above (showing in reasonable detail the calculation thereof);

 

(vii)        stating that (except in any case where a Governmental Authority has ordered the Company to divest itself of such property) such release is, in the opinion of the signers, desirable in the conduct of the business of the Company;

 

(viii)       stating that, in the judgment of the signers, such release will not impair the security under this Indenture in contravention of the provisions hereof; and

 

(d)           if the Expert’s Certificate required by clause (c) above contains neither of the statements contemplated in clause (c)(v) above, an amount in cash, to be held by the Trustee as part of the Mortgaged Property, equal to the amount, if any, by which the lower of (i) the Cost or Fair Value (whichever is less) of the property to be released and (ii) the amount shown in clause (c)(vi) above exceeds the aggregate of items of the character described in subclauses (iii) and (v) of clause (d) of Section 703 then to be used as a credit under this Section 704 (subject, however, to the same limitations and conditions with respect to such items as are set forth in Section 703).

 

Any Outstanding Securities deposited with the Trustee pursuant to clause (d) above shall forthwith be canceled by the Trustee.

 

SECTION 705.        Release of Minor Properties.

 

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 703 and 704, unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Company may obtain the release from the Lien hereof of any part of the Mortgaged Property, or any interest therein, and the Trustee shall whenever from time to time requested by the Company in a Company Order, and without requiring compliance with any of the provisions of Section 703 or 704, release from the Lien hereof all the right, title and interest of the Trustee in and to the same provided that the aggregate Fair Value of the property to be so released on any date in a given calendar year, together with all other property theretofore released pursuant to this Section 705 in such calendar year, shall not exceed (a) Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000) or, if greater, (b) three percent (3%) of the aggregate principal amount of Securities then Outstanding. Prior to the granting of any such release, there shall be delivered to the Trustee (x) an Officer’s Certificate stating that, to the knowledge of the signer, no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing and (y) an Expert’s Certificate stating, in the judgment of the signers, the Fair Value of the property to be released, the aggregate Fair Value of all other property theretofore released pursuant to this Section 705 in such calendar year and, as to Funded Property, the Cost thereof (or, if the Fair Value to the Company of such property at the time the same became Funded Property was less than the Cost thereof, then such Fair Value, in the judgment of the signers, in lieu of Cost), and that, in the judgment of the signers, the release thereof will not impair the security under this Indenture in contravention of the provisions hereof. On or before December 31st of each calendar year, the Company shall deposit with the Trustee an amount in cash equal to the aggregate Cost of the properties constituting Funded Property so released during such year (or, if the Fair Value to the Company of any particular property at the time the same became Funded Property was less than the Cost thereof, then such Fair Value in lieu of Cost); provided, however, that no such deposit shall be required to be made hereunder to the extent that cash or other consideration shall, as indicated in an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee prior to the date such deposit would have been due, have been deposited with the trustee or other holder of a Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture in accordance with the provisions thereof. Any cash deposited with the Trustee under this Section may thereafter be withdrawn, used or applied in the manner, to the extent and for the purposes, and subject to the conditions, provided in Section 706.

 

  

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SECTION 706.        Withdrawal or Other Application of Funded Cash; Purchase Money Obligations.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 404 and except as hereafter in this Section provided, unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, any Funded Cash held by the Trustee, and any other cash which is required to be withdrawn, used or applied as provided in this Section,

 

(a)           may be withdrawn from time to time by the Company to the extent of the Cost or the Fair Value to the Company (whichever is less) of Property Additions not constituting Funded Property, after making any deductions and additions pursuant to Section 104, described in an Expert’s Certificate, dated not more than ninety (90) days prior to the date of the Company Order requesting such withdrawal and complying with Section 402(b)(ii), delivered to the Trustee; provided, however, that the deductions and additions contemplated by Section 104 shall not be required to be made if such Property Additions were acquired, made or constructed on or after the ninetieth (90th) day preceding the date of such Company Order;

 

(b)           may be withdrawn from time to time by the Company in an amount equal to ten-sevenths (10/7) of the aggregate principal amount of Securities to the authentication and delivery of which the Company shall be entitled under the provisions of Section 403 hereof, by virtue of compliance with all applicable provisions of Section 403 (except as hereinafter in this Section otherwise provided); provided, however, that such withdrawal of cash shall operate as a waiver by the Company of the right to the authentication and delivery of such Securities and, to such extent, no such Securities may thereafter be authenticated and delivered hereunder; and any such Securities which were the basis of such right to the authentication and delivery of Securities so waived shall be deemed to have been made the basis of such withdrawal of cash;

 

  

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(c)           may be withdrawn from time to time by the Company in an amount equal to ten-sevenths (10/7) of the aggregate principal amount of any Outstanding Securities delivered to the Trustee;

 

(d)           may, upon the request of the Company, be used by the Trustee for the purchase of Securities in the manner, at the time or times, in the amount or amounts, at the price or prices (not exceeding ten-sevenths (10/7) of the principal amount thereof) and otherwise as directed or approved by the Company; or

 

(e)           may, upon the request of the Company, be applied by the Trustee to the payment (or provision therefor pursuant to Article Eight) at Stated Maturity of any Securities or to the redemption (or similar provision therefor) of any Securities which are, by their terms, redeemable, in each case of such series as may be designated by the Company, any such redemption to be in the manner and as provided in Article Five.

 

Such moneys shall, from time to time, be paid or used or applied by the Trustee, as aforesaid, upon the request of the Company in a Company Order, and upon receipt by the Trustee of an Officer’s Certificate stating that, to the knowledge of the signer, no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing. If and to the extent that the withdrawal of cash is based upon Property Additions (as permitted under the provisions of clause (a) above), the Company shall, subject to the provisions of said clause (a) and except as hereafter in this paragraph provided, comply with all applicable provisions of this Indenture as if such Property Additions were made the basis for the authentication and delivery of Securities equal in principal amount to seventy percent (70%) of the cash so to be withdrawn. If and to the extent that the withdrawal of cash is based upon the right to the authentication and delivery of Securities (as permitted under the provisions of clause (b) above), the Company shall, except as hereafter in this paragraph provided, comply with all applicable provisions of Section 403 relating to such authentication and delivery. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, in no event shall the Company be required to deliver the documents specified in Section 401.

 

All obligations secured by a Purchase Money Lien delivered to the Trustee in consideration of the release of property from the Lien of this Indenture shall be released from the Lien of this Indenture and delivered to or upon the order of the Company, together with the evidence of such Purchase Money Lien, upon payment by the Company to the Trustee of an amount in cash equal to the amount of credit used by the Company in respect of such obligations in connection with the release of such property from the Lien of this Indenture less the aggregate amount theretofore paid to the Trustee (by the Company, the obligor or otherwise) in respect of the principal of such obligations.

 

  

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The principal of and interest on any such obligations secured by a Purchase Money Lien held by the Trustee shall be collected by the Trustee as and when the same become payable. The interest received by the Trustee on any such obligations shall be deemed not to constitute Funded Cash and shall be remitted to the Company, and any payments received by the Trustee on account of the principal of any such obligations in excess of the amount of credit used by the Company in respect of such obligations upon the release of any property from the Lien hereof shall be deemed not to constitute Funded Cash and shall also be remitted to the Company; provided, however, that if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, such proceeds shall be held as part of the Mortgaged Property until such Event of Default shall have been cured or waived.

 

The Trustee shall have and may exercise all the rights and powers of any owner of such obligations and of all substitutions therefor and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, may collect and receive all insurance moneys payable to it under any of the provisions thereof and apply the same in accordance with the provisions thereof, may consent to extensions thereof at a higher or lower rate of interest, may join in any plan or plans of voluntary or involuntary reorganization or readjustment or rearrangement and may accept and hold hereunder new obligations, stocks or other securities issued in exchange therefor under any such plan. Any discretionary action which the Trustee may be entitled to take in connection with any such obligations or substitutions therefor shall be taken, so long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, in accordance with a Company Order, and, during the continuance of an Event of Default, in its own discretion.

 

Any Securities received by the Trustee pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall forthwith be canceled by the Trustee.

 

SECTION 707.        Release of Property Taken by Eminent Domain, etc.

 

Should any of the Mortgaged Property, or any interest therein, be taken by exercise of the power of eminent domain or be sold to an entity possessing the power of eminent domain under a threat to exercise the same, and should the Company not elect to obtain the release of such property pursuant to other provisions of this Article Seven, the Company may by Company Order request that the Trustee release from the Lien hereof all its right, title and interest in and to the property so taken or sold (or with respect to an interest in property, subordinate the Lien hereof to such interest).  The Trustee shall release such property upon receiving such Company Order and (a) an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such property has been taken by exercise of the power of eminent domain or has been sold to an entity possessing the power of eminent domain under threat of an exercise of such power, (b) an Officer’s Certificate stating the amount of net proceeds received or to be received for such property so taken or sold, and the amount so stated shall be deemed to be the Fair Value of such property for the purpose of any notice to the Holders of Securities, (c) if any portion of such property constitutes Funded Property, an Expert’s Certificate stating the Cost thereof (or, if the Fair Value to the Company of such portion of such property at the time the same became Funded Property was less than the Cost thereof, then such Fair Value, in the judgment of the signers, in lieu of Cost) and (d) if any portion of such property constitutes Funded Property, a deposit by the Company of an amount in cash equal to the amount of the Cost or Fair Value stated in the Expert’s Certificate delivered pursuant to clause (c) above; provided, however, that the amount required to be so deposited shall not exceed the portion of the net proceeds received or to be received for such property so taken or sold which is allocable on a pro-rata or other reasonable basis to the portion of such property constituting Funded Property; and provided, further, that no such deposit shall be required to be made hereunder if the proceeds of such taking or sale shall, as indicated in an Officer’s Certificate delivered to the Trustee, have been deposited with the trustee or other holder of a Lien prior to the Lien of this Indenture. Any cash deposited with the Trustee under this Section may thereafter be withdrawn, used or applied in the manner, to the extent and for the purposes, and subject to the conditions, provided in Section 706.

 

  

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SECTION 708.        Disclaimer or Quitclaim.

 

In case the Company has sold, exchanged, dedicated or otherwise disposed of, or has agreed or intends to sell, exchange, dedicate or otherwise dispose of, or a Governmental Authority has ordered the Company to divest itself of, any property of a character excepted from the Lien hereof, or the Company desires to disclaim or quitclaim title to property to which the Company does not purport to have title, the Trustee shall, from time to time, execute such instruments of release, disclaimer or quitclaim as may be appropriate upon receipt by the Trustee of the following:

 

(a)           a Company Order requesting such release, disclaimer or quitclaim and transmitting therewith a form of instrument to effect such release, disclaimer or quitclaim;

 

(b)           an Officer’s Certificate describing the property to be released, disclaimed or quitclaimed; and

 

(c)           an Opinion of Counsel stating the signer’s opinion that such property is not subject to the Lien hereof or required to be subject thereto by any of the provisions hereof.

 

SECTION 709.        Miscellaneous.

 

(a)           The Expert’s Certificate as to the Fair Value of property to be released from the Lien of this Indenture in accordance with any provision of this Article, and as to the nonimpairment, by reason of such release, of the security under this Indenture in contravention of the provisions hereof, shall be made by an Independent Expert if the Fair Value of such property and of all other property released since the commencement of the then current calendar year, as set forth in the certificates required by this Indenture, is ten percent (10%) or more of the principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding; but such Expert’s Certificate shall not be required to be made by an Independent Expert in the case of any release of property if the Fair Value thereof, as set forth in the certificates required by this Indenture, is less than Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) or less than one percent (1%) of the principal amount of the Securities at the time Outstanding. To the extent that the Fair Value of any property to be released from the Lien of this Indenture shall be stated in an Independent Expert’s Certificate, such Fair Value shall not be required to be stated in any other Expert’s Certificate delivered in connection with such release.

 

(b)           No release of property from the Lien of this Indenture effected in accordance with the provisions, and in compliance with the conditions, set forth in this Article Seven and in Sections 105 and 106 shall be deemed to impair the security of this Indenture in contravention of any provision hereof.

 

  

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(c)           If the Mortgaged Property shall be in the possession of a receiver or trustee, lawfully appointed, the powers hereinbefore conferred upon the Company with respect to the release of any part of the Mortgaged Property or any interest therein or the withdrawal of cash may be exercised, with the approval of the Trustee, by such receiver or trustee, notwithstanding that an Event of Default may have occurred and be continuing, and any request, certificate, appointment or approval made or signed by such receiver or trustee for such purposes shall be as effective as if made by the Company or any of its officers or appointees in the manner herein provided; and if the Trustee shall be in possession of the Mortgaged Property under any provision of this Indenture, then such powers may be exercised by the Trustee in its discretion notwithstanding that an Event of Default may have occurred and be continuing.

 

(d)           If any property released from the Lien of this Indenture as provided in Section 703, 704 or 705 shall continue to be owned by the Company after such release, this Indenture shall not become or be, or be required to become or be, a Lien upon such property or any improvement, extension or addition to such property or renewals, replacements or substitutions of or for any part or parts of such property unless the Company shall execute and deliver to the Trustee an indenture supplemental hereto, in recordable form, containing a grant, conveyance, transfer and mortgage thereof.

 

(e)           Notwithstanding the occurrence and continuance of an Event of Default, the Trustee, in its discretion, may release from the Lien hereof any part of the Mortgaged Property or permit the withdrawal of cash, upon compliance with the other conditions specified in this Article in respect thereof.

 

(f)           No purchaser in good faith of property purporting to have been released hereunder shall be bound to ascertain the authority of the Trustee to execute the release, or to inquire as to any facts required by the provisions hereof for the exercise of this authority; nor shall any purchaser or grantee of any property or rights permitted by this Article to be sold, granted, exchanged, dedicated or otherwise disposed of, be under obligation to ascertain or inquire into the authority of the Company to make any such sale, grant, exchange, dedication or other disposition.

 

SECTION 710.        Certain Acquisition Liens.

 

(a)           The Trustee shall subordinate the Lien of this Indenture to any Acquisition Lien upon receipt by the Trustee of (i) a Company Order for any such subordination which includes a description of the Acquisition Lien to which this Indenture is to be subordinated, (ii) an Officer's Certificate stating that no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing to the knowledge of the signer, that the mortgage or other instrument or agreement with respect to which a subordination is being requested is an Acquisition Lien and stating that such Acquisition Lien does not encumber any Funded Property, and (iii) a form of instrument appropriate and reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee to effect such subordination. Upon receipt of the foregoing, the Trustee shall promptly execute, acknowledge and deliver the instrument described in clause (iii) above or any other instrument that the Company may request in order to evidence or effect the subordination as requested by the Company. Nothing in this section shall require the Trustee to subordinate the Lien of this Indenture to any Acquisition Lien that encumbers Funded Property.

 

  

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(b)           Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Granting Clauses of this Indenture, if any property of the Company is subject to an Acquisition Lien and the instruments or agreements evidencing or governing such Acquisition Lien or the obligations secured thereby prohibit the grant of other Liens on such property without the consent of the holder or holders of such obligations, then, automatically and without any action on the part of the Trustee or the Holders of the Securities, all right, title and interest of the Company in and to such property shall constitute Excepted Property excluded from the Lien of this Indenture until such consent has been obtained or such instruments or agreements have terminated.

 

ARTICLE EIGHT

 

Satisfaction and Discharge

 

SECTION 801.        Satisfaction and Discharge of Securities.

 

Any Security or Securities, or any portion of the principal amount thereof, shall be deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture, and the entire indebtedness of the Company in respect thereof shall be satisfied and discharged, if there shall have been irrevocably deposited with the Trustee or any Paying Agent (other than the Company), in trust:

 

(a)           money (including Funded Cash not otherwise applied pursuant to Section 706) in an amount which shall be sufficient, or

 

(b)           in the case of a deposit made prior to the Maturity of such Securities or portions thereof, Eligible Obligations, which shall not contain provisions permitting the redemption or other prepayment thereof at the option of the issuer thereof, the principal of and the interest on which when due, without any regard to reinvestment thereof, will provide moneys which, together with the money, if any, deposited with or held by the Trustee, or such Paying Agent, shall be sufficient, or

 

(c)           a combination of (a) or (b) which shall be sufficient,

 

to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, due and to become due on such Securities or portions thereof; provided, however, that in the case of the provision for payment or redemption of less than all the Securities of any series or Tranche, such Securities or portions thereof shall have been selected by the Security Registrar as provided herein and, in the case of a redemption, the notice requisite to the validity of such redemption shall have been given or irrevocable authority shall have been given by the Company to the Trustee to give such notice, under arrangements satisfactory to the Trustee; and provided, further, that the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee and such Paying Agent:

 

(x)           if such deposit shall have been made prior to the Maturity of such Securities, a Company Order stating that the money and Eligible Obligations deposited in accordance with this Section shall be held in trust, as provided in Section 803;

 

  

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(y)           if Eligible Obligations shall have been deposited, an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that such obligations constitute Eligible Obligations and do not contain provisions permitting the redemption or other prepayment at the option of the issuer thereof, and a written statement of an Independent public Accountant of nationally recognized standing, selected by the Company, to the effect that the other requirements set forth in clause (b) above have been satisfied; and

 

(z)           if such deposit shall have been made prior to the Maturity of such Securities, an Officer’s Certificate stating the Company’s intention that upon delivery of such Officer’s Certificate, its indebtedness in respect of such Securities or portions thereof will have been satisfied and discharged as contemplated in this Section.

 

Upon the deposit of money or Eligible Obligations, or both, in accordance with this Section, together with the documents required by clauses (x), (y) and (z) above, the Trustee shall, upon Company Request, acknowledge in writing that such Securities or portions thereof are deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture and that the entire indebtedness of the Company in respect thereof has been satisfied and discharged as contemplated in this Section. In the event that all of the conditions set forth in the preceding paragraph shall have been satisfied in respect of any Securities or portions thereof except that, for any reason, the Officer’s Certificate specified in clause (z) shall not have been delivered, such Securities or portions thereof shall nevertheless be deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture, and the Holders of such Securities or portions thereof shall nevertheless be no longer entitled to the benefit of the Lien of this Indenture or of any of the covenants of the Company under Article Six (except the covenants contained in Sections 602 and 603) or any other covenants made in respect of such Securities or portions thereof as contemplated by Section 301, but the indebtedness of the Company in respect of such Securities or portions thereof shall not be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged prior to Maturity for any other purpose; and, upon Company Request, the Trustee shall acknowledge in writing that such Securities or portions thereof are deemed to have been paid for all purposes of this Indenture.

 

If payment at Stated Maturity of less than all of the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, is to be provided for in the manner and with the effect provided in this Section, the Security Registrar shall select such Securities, or portions of principal amount thereof, in the manner specified by Section 503 for selection for redemption of less than all the Securities of a series or Tranche.

 

In the event that Securities which shall be deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, and, if such is the case, in respect of which the Company’s indebtedness shall have been satisfied and discharged, all as provided in this Section, do not mature and are not to be redeemed within the sixty (60) day period commencing with the date of the deposit of moneys or Eligible Obligations, as aforesaid, the Company shall, as promptly as practicable, give a notice, in the same manner as a notice of redemption with respect to such Securities, to the Holders of such Securities to the effect that such deposit has been made and the effect thereof.

 

  

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Notwithstanding that any Securities shall be deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, as aforesaid, the obligations of the Company and the Trustee in respect of such Securities under Sections 304, 305, 306, 504, 602, 603, 1007 and 1015 and this Article Eight shall survive.

 

The Company shall pay, and shall indemnify the Trustee or any Paying Agent with which Eligible Obligations shall have been deposited as provided in this Section against, any tax, fee or other charge imposed on or assessed against such Eligible Obligations or the principal or interest received in respect of such Eligible Obligations, including, but not limited to, any such tax payable by any entity deemed, for tax purposes, to have been created as a result of such deposit.

 

Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, (a) if, at any time after a Security would be deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, and, if such is the case, the Company’s indebtedness in respect, thereof would be deemed to have been satisfied and discharged, pursuant to this Section (without regard to the provisions of this paragraph), the Trustee or any Paying Agent, as the case may be, shall be required to return the money or Eligible Obligations, or combination thereof, deposited with it as aforesaid to the Company or its representative under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, such Security shall thereupon be deemed retroactively not to have been paid and any satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s indebtedness in respect thereof shall retroactively be deemed not to have been effected, and such Security shall be deemed to remain Outstanding and (b) any satisfaction and discharge of the Company’s indebtedness in respect of any Security shall be subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 603.

 

SECTION 802.        Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture.

 

This Indenture shall upon Company Request cease to be of further effect (except as hereinafter expressly provided), and the Trustee, at the expense of the Company, shall execute such instruments as the Company shall reasonably request to evidence and acknowledge the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture, when:

 

(a)           no Securities remain Outstanding hereunder; and

 

(b)           the Company has paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Company;

 

provided, however, that if, in accordance with the last paragraph of Section 801, any Security, previously deemed to have been paid for purposes of this Indenture, shall be deemed retroactively not to have been so paid, this Indenture shall thereupon be deemed retroactively not to have been satisfied and discharged, as aforesaid, and to remain in full force and effect, and the Company shall execute and deliver such instruments as the Trustee shall reasonably request to evidence and acknowledge the same.

 

Notwithstanding the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as aforesaid, the obligations of the Company and the Trustee under Sections 304, 305, 306, 504, 602, 603, 1007 and 1015 and this Article Eight shall survive.

 

  

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Upon satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture as provided in this Section, the Trustee shall release, quit claim and otherwise turn over to the Company the Mortgaged Property (other than money and Eligible Obligations held by the Trustee pursuant to Section 803) and shall execute and deliver to the Company such deeds and other instruments as, in the judgment of the Company, shall be necessary, desirable or appropriate to effect or evidence such release and quitclaim and the satisfaction and discharge of the Lien of this Indenture.

 

SECTION 803.        Application of Trust Money.

 

Neither the Eligible Obligations nor the money deposited pursuant to Section 801, nor the principal or interest payments on any such Eligible Obligations, shall be withdrawn or used for any purpose other than, and shall be held in trust for, the payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on the Securities or portions of principal amount thereof in respect of which such deposit was made, all subject, however, to the provisions of Section 603; provided, however, that any cash received from such principal or interest payments on such Eligible Obligations, if not then needed for such purpose, shall, to the extent practicable, be invested in Eligible Obligations of the type described in clause (b) in the first paragraph of Section 801 maturing at such times and in such amounts as shall be sufficient to pay when due the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, due and to become due on such Securities or portions thereof on and prior to the Maturity thereof, and interest earned from such reinvestment shall be paid over to the Company as received, free and clear of the Lien of this Indenture; and provided, further, that any moneys held in accordance with this Section on the Maturity of all such Securities in excess of the amount required to pay the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, then due on such Securities shall be paid over to the Company free and clear of the Lien of this Indenture; and provided, further, that if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, moneys to be paid over to the Company pursuant to this Section shall be held as part of the Mortgaged Property until such Event of Default shall have been waived or cured.

 

ARTICLE NINE

 

Events of Default; Remedies

 

SECTION 901.        Events of Default.

 

“Event of Default”, wherever used herein with respect to the Securities, means any one of the following events:

 

(a)           failure to pay interest, if any, on any Security within sixty (60) days after the same becomes due and payable; or

 

(b)           failure to pay the principal of or premium, if any, on any Security within three (3) Business Days after its Maturity; or

 

(c)           failure to perform or breach of any covenant or warranty of the Company in this Indenture (other than a covenant or warranty a default in the performance of which or breach of which is elsewhere in this Section specifically dealt with) for a period of ninety (90) days after there has been given, by registered or certified mail, to the Company by the Trustee, or to the Company and the Trustee by the Holders of at least thirty-three percent (33%) in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding, a written notice specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of Default” hereunder, unless the Trustee, or the Trustee and the Holders of a principal amount of Securities not less than the principal amount of Securities the Holders of which gave such notice, as the case may be, shall agree in writing to an extension of such period prior to its expiration; provided, however, that the Trustee, or the Trustee and the Holders of such principal amount of Securities, as the case may be, shall be deemed to have agreed to an extension of such period if corrective action is initiated by the Company within such period and is being diligently pursued; or

 

  

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(d)           the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (i) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (ii) a decree or order adjudging the Company a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition by one or more Persons other than the Company seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Company under any applicable Federal or State law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official for the Company or for any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order shall have remained unstayed and in effect for a period of ninety (90) consecutive days; or

 

(e)           the commencement by the Company of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Company in a case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable Federal or State law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Company or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the authorization of such action by the Board of Directors.

 

SECTION 902.        Acceleration of Maturity; Rescission and Annulment.

 

If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, then in every such case the Trustee or the Holders of not less than thirty-three percent (33%) in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding may declare the principal amount (or, if any of the Securities are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified in the terms thereof as contemplated by Section 301) of all Securities then Outstanding to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Company (and to the Trustee if given by Holders), and upon receipt by the Company of notice of such declaration such principal amount (or specified amount), together with premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, thereon, shall become immediately due and payable.

 

  

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At any time after such a declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the Securities then Outstanding shall have been made, but before any sale of any of the Mortgaged Property has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due shall have been obtained by the Trustee as provided in this Article, the Event or Events of Default giving rise to such declaration of acceleration shall, without further act, be deemed to have been waived, and such declaration and its consequences shall, without further act, be deemed to have been rescinded and annulled, if

 

(a)           the Company shall have paid or deposited with the Trustee a sum sufficient to pay

 

(i)          all overdue interest, if any, on all Securities then Outstanding;

 

(ii)         the principal of and premium, if any, on any Securities then Outstanding which have become due otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest thereon at the rate or rates prescribed therefor in such Securities;

 

(iii)        to the extent that payment of such interest is provided for pursuant to Section 301 and is lawful, interest upon overdue interest at the rate prescribed therefor in such Securities; and

 

(iv)        all amounts due to the Trustee under Section 1007; and

 

(b)           any other Event or Events of Default, other than the non-payment of the principal of Securities which shall have become due solely by such declaration of acceleration, shall have been cured or waived as provided in Section 917.

 

No such rescission shall affect any subsequent Event of Default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

  

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SECTION 903.        Entry Upon Mortgaged Property.

 

If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Company, upon demand of the Trustee and if and to the extent permitted by law, shall forthwith surrender to the Trustee the actual possession of, and the Trustee, by such officers or agents as it may appoint, may enter upon and take possession of, the Mortgaged Property; and the Trustee may hold, operate and manage the Mortgaged Property and make all needful repairs and such renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements as to the Trustee shall seem prudent; and the Trustee may receive the rents, issues, profits, revenues and other income of the Mortgaged Property; and, after deducting the costs and expenses of entering, taking possession, holding, operating and managing the Mortgaged Property, as well as payments for insurance and taxes and other proper charges upon the Mortgaged Property prior to the Lien of this Indenture and reasonable compensation to itself, its agents and counsel, the Trustee may apply the same as provided in Section 907. Whenever any declaration of acceleration of the maturity of the Securities then Outstanding shall be deemed to have been rescinded and annulled as provided in Section 902 or, if no such declaration has been made, all Events of Default shall have been cured or waived as provided in Section 917, the Trustee shall surrender possession of the Mortgaged Property to the Company.

 

SECTION 904.        Power of Sale; Suits for Enforcement.

 

If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Trustee, by such officers or agents as it shall appoint, with or without entry, in its discretion may, subject to the provisions of Section 916 and if and to the extent permitted by law:

 

(a)           sell, subject to any mandatory requirements of applicable law, the Mortgaged Property as an entirety, or in such parcels as the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding shall in writing request, or in the absence of such request, as the Trustee may determine, to the highest bidder at public auction at such place and at such time (which sale may be adjourned by the Trustee from time to time in its discretion by announcement at the time and place fixed for such sale, without further notice) and upon such terms as the Trustee may fix and briefly specify in a notice of sale to be published once in each week for four successive weeks prior to such sale in an Authorized Publication in each Place of Payment for the Securities of each series; or

 

  

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(b)           proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the rights of the Holders of Securities under this Indenture by sale pursuant to judicial proceedings or by a suit, action or proceeding in equity or at law or otherwise, whether for the specific performance of any covenant or agreement contained in this Indenture or in aid of the execution of any power granted in this Indenture or for the foreclosure of this Indenture or for the enforcement of any other legal, equitable or other remedy, as the Trustee, being advised by counsel, shall deem most effectual to protect and enforce any of the rights of the Trustee or the Holders of Securities.

 

SECTION 905.        Incidents of Sale.

 

Upon any sale of any of the Mortgaged Property, whether made under the power of sale hereby given or pursuant to judicial proceedings, to the extent permitted by law:

 

(a)           the principal amount (or, if any of the Securities are Discount Securities, such portion of the principal amount of such Securities as may be specified in the terms thereof as contemplated by Section 301) of all Outstanding Securities, if not previously due, shall at once become and be immediately due and payable, together with premium, if any, and accrued interest, if any, thereon;

 

  

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(b)           any Holder or Holders of Securities or the Trustee may bid for and purchase the property offered for sale, and upon compliance with the terms of sale may hold, retain and possess and dispose of such property, without further accountability, and may, in paying the purchase money therefor, deliver any Outstanding Securities or claims for interest thereon in lieu of cash to the amount which shall, upon distribution of the net proceeds of such sale, be payable thereon, and such Securities, in case the amounts so payable thereon shall be less than the amount due thereon, shall be returned to the Holders thereof after being appropriately stamped to show partial payment;

 

(c)           the Trustee may make and deliver to the purchaser or purchasers a good and sufficient deed, bill of sale and instrument of assignment and transfer of the property sold;

 

(d)           the Trustee is hereby irrevocably appointed the true and lawful attorney of the Company, in its name and stead, to make all necessary deeds, bills of sale and instruments of assignment and transfer bills the property so sold; and for that purpose it may execute all necessary deeds, bills of sale and instruments of assignment and transfer, and may substitute one or more persons, firms or corporations with like power, the Company hereby ratifying and confirming all that its said attorney or such substitute or substitutes shall lawfully do by virtue hereof; but, if so requested by the Trustee or by any purchaser, the Company shall ratify and confirm any such sale or transfer by executing and delivering to the Trustee or to such purchaser or purchasers all proper deeds, bills of sale, instruments of assignment and transfer and releases as may be designated in any such request;

 

(e)           all right, title, interest, claim and demand whatsoever, either at law or in equity or otherwise, of the Company of, in and to the property so sold shall be divested and such sale shall be a perpetual bar both at law and in equity against the Company, its successors and assigns, and against any and all persons claiming or who may claim the property sold or any part thereof from, through or under the Company; and

 

(f)           the receipt of the Trustee or of the officer making such sale shall be a sufficient discharge to the purchaser or purchasers at such sale, for his or their purchase money and such purchaser or purchasers and his or their assigns or personal representatives shall not after paying such purchase money and receiving such receipt, be obliged to see to the application of such purchase money, or be in anywise answerable for any loss, misapplication or non-application thereof.

 

  

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SECTION 906.        Collection of Indebtedness and Suits for Enforcement by Trustee.

 

If an Event of Default described in clause (a) or (b) of Section 901 shall have occurred and be continuing, the Company shall, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to it, for the benefit of the Holders of the Securities with respect to which such Event of Default shall have occurred, the whole amount then due and payable on such Securities for principal and premium, if any, and interest, if any, and, in addition thereto, such further amount as shall be sufficient to cover any amounts due to the Trustee under Section 1007.

 

If the Company shall fail to pay such amounts forthwith upon such demand, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute a judicial proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, may prosecute such proceeding to judgment or final decree and may enforce the same against the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities and collect the moneys adjudged or decreed to be payable in the manner provided by law out of the property of the Company or any other obligor upon such Securities, wherever situated.

 

The Trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law, be entitled to sue and recover judgment as aforesaid either before, during or after the pendency of any proceedings for the enforcement of the Lien of this Indenture, and in case of a sale of the Mortgaged Property or any part thereof and the application of the proceeds of sale as aforesaid, the Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, shall be entitled to enforce payment of, and to receive, all amounts then remaining due and unpaid upon the Securities then Outstanding for principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, for the benefit of the Holders thereof, and shall be entitled to recover judgment for any portion of the same remaining unpaid, with interest as aforesaid. No recovery of any such judgment by the Trustee and no levy of any execution upon any such judgment upon any of the Mortgaged Property or any other property of the Company shall affect or impair the Lien of this Indenture upon the Mortgaged Property or any part thereof or any rights, powers or remedies of the Trustee hereunder, or any rights, powers or remedies of the Holders of the Securities.

 

SECTION 907.        Application of Money Collected.

 

Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article, including any rents, profits, revenues and other income collected pursuant to Section 903 (after the deductions therein provided) and any proceeds of any sale (after deducting the costs and expenses of such sale, including a reasonable compensation to the Trustee, its agents and counsel, and any taxes, assessments or Liens prior to the Lien of this Indenture, except any thereof subject to which such sale shall have been made), whether made under any power of sale herein granted or pursuant to judicial proceedings, and any money collected by the Trustee under Section 706, together with, in the case of an entry or sale or as otherwise provided herein, any other sums then held by the Trustee as part of the Mortgaged Property, shall be applied in the following order, to the extent permitted by law, at the date or dates fixed by the Trustee and, in case of the distribution of such money on account of principal or premium, if any, or interest, if any, upon presentation of the Securities and the notation thereon of the payment if only partially paid and upon surrender thereof if fully paid:

 

  

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First: To the payment of all undeducted amounts due the Trustee under Section 1007;

 

Second: To the payment of the whole amount then due and unpaid upon the Outstanding Securities for principal and premium, if any, and interest, if any, in respect of which or for the benefit of which such money has been collected; and in case such proceeds shall be insufficient to pay in full the whole amount so due and unpaid upon such Securities, then to the payment of such principal and interest, if any, thereon without any preference or priority, ratably according to the aggregate amount so due and unpaid, with any balance then remaining to the payment of premium, if any, and, if so specified as contemplated by Section 301 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, interest, if any, on overdue premium, if any, and overdue interest, if any, ratably as aforesaid, all to the extent permitted by applicable law; provided, however, that any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to Section 706 in respect of interest and Section 903 shall first be applied to the payment of interest accrued on the principal of Outstanding Securities; and

 

Third: To the payment of the remainder, if any, to the Company or to whomsoever may be lawfully entitled to receive the same or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.

 

SECTION 908.        Receiver.

 

If an Event of Default shall have occurred and, during the continuance thereof, the Trustee shall have commenced judicial proceedings to enforce any right under this Indenture, the Trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law, be entitled, as against the Company, without notice or demand and without regard to the adequacy of the security for the Securities or the solvency of the Company, to the appointment of a receiver of the Mortgaged Property.

 

SECTION 909.        Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.

 

In case of the pendency of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other judicial proceeding relative to the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities or the property of the Company or of such other obligor or their creditors, the Trustee (irrespective of whether the principal of the Securities shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any demand on the Company for the payment of overdue principal or interest) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise,

 

(a)           to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of principal, premium, if any, and interest, if any, owing and unpaid in respect of the Securities and to file such other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee (including any claim for amounts due to the Trustee under Section 1007) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and

 

  

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(b)           to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

 

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Holder to make such payments to the Trustee and, in the event that the Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Holders, to pay to the Trustee any amounts due it under Section 1007.

 

Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.

 

SECTION 910.        Trustee May Enforce Claims Without Possession of Securities.

 

All rights of action and claims under this Indenture or on the Securities may be prosecuted and enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Securities or the production thereof in any proceeding relating thereto, and any such proceeding instituted by the Trustee shall be brought in its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment shall, after provision for the payment of the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Trustee, its agents and counsel, be for the ratable benefit of the Holders in respect of which such judgment has been recovered.

 

SECTION 911.        Limitation on Suits.

 

No Holder shall have any right to institute any proceeding, judicial or otherwise, with respect to this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or for any other remedy hereunder, unless:

 

(a)           such Holder shall have previously given written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default;

 

(b)           the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding shall have made written request to the Trustee to institute proceedings in respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee hereunder;

 

(c)           such Holder or Holders shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred in compliance with such request;

 

(d)           the Trustee for 60 days after its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity shall have failed to institute any such proceeding; and

 

(e)           no direction inconsistent with such written request shall have been given to the Trustee during such 60-day period by the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding;

 

  

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it being understood and intended that no one or more of such Holders shall have any right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision of this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other of such Holders or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other of such Holders or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein provided and for the equal and ratable benefit of all of such Holders.

 

SECTION 912.        Unconditional Right of Holders to Receive Principal, Premium and Interest.

 

Notwithstanding any other provision in this Indenture, the Holder of any Security shall have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, to receive payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and (subject to Section 307) interest, if any, on such Security on the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on the Redemption Date) and to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment, and such rights shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.

 

SECTION 913.        Restoration of Rights and Remedies.

 

If the Trustee or any Holder has instituted any proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and such proceeding shall have been discontinued or abandoned for any reason, or shall have been determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Holder, then and in every such case, subject to any determination in such proceeding, the Company, and Trustee and such Holder shall be restored severally and respectively to their former positions hereunder and thereafter all rights and remedies of the Trustee and such Holder shall continue as though no such proceeding had been instituted.

 

SECTION 914.        Rights and Remedies Cumulative.

 

Except as otherwise provided in the last paragraph of Section 306, no right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the Trustee or to the Holders is intended to be exclusive of any other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent permitted by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise. The assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise, shall not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate right or remedy.

 

Anything in this Article to the contrary notwithstanding, the availability of the remedies set forth herein (on an individual or cumulative basis) and the procedures set forth herein relating to the exercise thereof shall be subject to the law of any jurisdiction wherein the Mortgaged Property or any part thereof is located to the extent that such law is mandatorily applicable, and, if and to the extent that any provision of this Article conflicts with any provision of such applicable law, such provision of law shall control.

 

SECTION 915.        Delay or Omission Not Waiver.

 

No delay or omission of the Trustee or of any Holder to exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Event of Default shall impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy given by this Article or by law to the Trustee or to the Holders may be exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient, by the Trustee or by the Holders, as the case may be.

 

  

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SECTION 916.        Control by Holders of Securities.

 

If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding shall have the right, subject to Section 1003(e), to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred on the Trustee; provided, however, that

 

(a)           such direction shall not be in conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture, and could not involve the Trustee in personal liability in circumstances where indemnity would not, in the Trustee’s sole discretion, be adequate, and

 

(b)           the Trustee may take any other action deemed proper by the Trustee which is not inconsistent with such direction.

 

SECTION 917.        Waiver of Past Defaults.

 

Before any sale of any of the Mortgaged Property and before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due shall have been obtained by the Trustee as provided in this Article, the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding may on behalf of the Holders of all the Securities then Outstanding waive any past default hereunder and its consequences, except a default

 

(a)           in the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security Outstanding, or

 

(b)           in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which under Section 1302 cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of any series or Tranche affected.

 

Upon any such waiver, such default shall cease to exist, and any and all Events of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose of this Indenture; but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or impair any right consequent thereon.

 

SECTION 918.        Undertaking for Costs.

 

The Company and the Trustee agree, and each Holder of Securities by its acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for the enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any suit against the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee, the filing by any party litigant in such suit of an understanding to pay the costs of such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit, having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses made by such party litigant; but the provisions of this Section shall not apply to any suit instituted by the Company, to any suit instituted by the Trustee, to any suit instituted by any Holder, or group of Holders, holding in the aggregate more than 10% in aggregate principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding, or to any suit instituted by any Holder for the enforcement of the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Security on or after the Stated Maturity or Maturities expressed in such Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date).

 

  

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SECTION 919.        Waiver of Appraisement and Other Laws.

 

To the full extent that it may lawfully so agree, the Company shall not at any time set up, claim or otherwise seek to take the benefit or advantage of any appraisement, valuation, stay, extension or redemption law now or hereafter in effect, in order to prevent or hinder the enforcement of this Indenture or the absolute sale of the Mortgaged Property, or any part thereof, or the possession thereof, or any part thereof, by any purchaser at any sale under this Article; and the Company, for itself and all who may claim under it, so far as it or they now or hereafter may lawfully do so, hereby waives the benefit of all such laws. The Company, for itself and all who may claim under it, waives, to the extent that it may lawfully do so, all right to have the Mortgaged Property marshalled upon any foreclosure of the Lien hereof, and agrees that any court having jurisdiction to foreclose the Lien of this Indenture may order the sale of the Mortgaged Property as an entirety.

 

ARTICLE TEN

 

The Trustee

 

SECTION 1001.      Certain Duties and Responsibilities.

 

(a)           Except during the continuance of an Event of Default,

 

(1)           the Trustee undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Indenture, and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture against the Trustee; and

 

(2)           in the absence of bad faith on its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates or opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Indenture; but in the case of any such certificates or opinions which by any provisions hereof are specifically required to be furnished to the Trustee, the Trustee shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they conform to the requirements of this Indenture (but need not confirm or investigate the accuracy of mathematical calculations or other facts stated therein).

 

(b)           In case an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Indenture, and use the same degree of care and skill in their exercise, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.

 

  

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(c)           No provision of this Indenture shall be construed to relieve the Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:

 

(1)           this subsection shall not be construed to limit the effect of subsection (a) of this Section;

 

(2)           the Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts;

 

(3)           the Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities, as provided in Section 916, relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee, or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee, under this Indenture; and

 

(4)           no provision of this Indenture shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of its duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it shall have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.

 

(d)           Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this Indenture relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording protection to the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section.

 

SECTION 1002.      Notice of Defaults.

 

The Trustee shall give the Holders notice of any default hereunder in the manner and to the extent required to do so by the Trust Indenture Act, unless such default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, that in the case of any default of the character specified in Section 901(c), no such notice to Holders shall be given until at least 75 days after the occurrence thereof. For the purpose of this Section, the term “default” means any event or circumstance which is, or after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become, an Event of Default.

 

SECTION 1003.      Certain Rights of Trustee.

 

Subject to the provisions of Section 1001 and to the applicable provisions of the Trust Indenture Act:

 

(a)           the Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;

 

  

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(b)           any request or direction of the Company mentioned herein shall be sufficiently evidenced by a Company Request or Company Order, or as otherwise expressly provided herein, and any resolution of the Board of Directors may be sufficiently evidenced by a Board Resolution;

 

(c)           whenever in the administration of this Indenture the Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established prior to taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trustee (unless other evidence is specifically prescribed herein) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, rely upon an Officer’s Certificate or an Opinion of Counsel, or both;

 

(d)           the Trustee may consult with counsel and the written advice of such counsel or any Opinion of Counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it hereunder in good faith and in reliance thereon;

 

(e)           the Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this Indenture at the request or direction of any Holder pursuant to this Indenture, unless such Holder shall have offered to the Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction;

 

(f)           the Trustee shall not be bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit, and, if the Trustee shall determine to make such further inquiry or investigation, it shall (subject to applicable legal requirements) be entitled to examine, during normal business hours and upon reasonable notice, the books, records and premises of the Company, personally or by agent or attorney;

 

(g)           the Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through agents or attorneys and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder;

 

(h)           the Trustee shall not be charged with knowledge of any Event of Default unless either (i) a Responsible Officer of the Trustee shall have actual knowledge of the Event of Default or (ii) written notice of such Event of Default shall have been given to the Trustee by the Company, any other obligor on the Securities or by any Holder of such Securities;

 

  

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(i)           the Trustee may request that the Company deliver a certificate setting forth the names of individuals and/or titles of officers authorized at such time to take specified actions pursuant to this Indenture, which certificate may be signed by any person authorized to sign an Officer’s Certificate, including any person specified as so authorized in any such certificate previously delivered and not superseded;

 

(j)           the Trustee will not be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under this Indenture arising out of or caused, directly or indirectly, by circumstances beyond its control; and

 

(k)           no securities depositary will be deemed an agent of the Trustee, and the Trustee will not be responsible for any act or omission by any securities depositary.

 

SECTION 1004.      Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities.

 

The recitals contained herein and in the Securities (except the Trustee’s certificates of authentication) shall be taken as the statements of the Company, and neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent assumes any responsibility for their correctness. The Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this Indenture or of the Securities. Neither the Trustee nor any Authenticating Agent shall be accountable for the use or application by the Company of Securities or the proceeds thereof.

 

SECTION 1005.      May Hold Securities.

 

Each of the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any Paying Agent, any Security Registrar or any other agent of the Company, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Securities and, subject to Sections 1008 and 1013, may otherwise deal with the Company with the same rights it would have if it were not such Trustee, Authenticating Agent, Paying Agent, Security Registrar or other agent.

 

SECTION 1006.      Money Held in Trust.

 

Money held by the Trustee in trust hereunder need not be segregated from other funds, except to the extent required by law. The Trustee shall be under no liability for interest on or investment of any money received by it hereunder except as expressly provided herein or otherwise agreed with, and for the sole benefit of, the Company.

 

SECTION 1007.      Compensation and Reimbursement.

 

The Company shall

 

(a)           pay to the Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for all services rendered by it hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);

 

  

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(b)           except as otherwise expressly provided herein, reimburse the Trustee upon its request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances reasonably incurred or made by the Trustee in accordance with any provision of this Indenture (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and disbursements of its agents and counsel), except to the extent that any such expense, disbursement or advance may be attributable to its negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith; and

 

(c)           indemnify the Trustee and hold it harmless from and against any loss, liability or expense reasonably incurred by it arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the trust or trusts hereunder or the performance of its duties hereunder, including the reasonable costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder (it being understood that the Trustee’s right to be indemnified pursuant to this subsection (c) shall extend to, and be enforceable by, the Trustee to the same extent when acting as Paying Agent or Security Registrar hereunder) except to the extent any such loss, liability or expense may be attributable to its negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith; provided, that if and to the extent Section 56-7-1, NMSA 1978 applies to the indemnification obligations set forth in this subsection (c), the indemnitor’s obligation does not extend to liability, claims, damages, losses or expenses, including attorney fees, arising out of bodily injury to persons or damage to property caused by or resulting from, in whole or in part, the negligence, act or omission of any indemnitee or the officers, employees or agents of the indemnitee.

 

As security for the performance of the obligations of the Company under this Section, the Trustee shall have a Lien prior to the Securities upon the Mortgaged Property collected by the Trustee as such other than property and funds held in trust under Section 803 (except as otherwise provided in Section 803).  Such Lien will survive the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture.  “Trustee” for purposes of this Section shall include any predecessor Trustee; provided, however, that the negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith of any Trustee hereunder shall not affect the rights of any other Trustee hereunder.

 

When the Trustee incurs expenses or renders services after an Event of Default specified in Section 901(d) or (e) hereof occurs, the expenses and the compensation for the services (including the fees and expenses of its agents and counsel) are intended to constitute expenses of administration under any bankruptcy law.

 

SECTION 1008.      Disqualification; Conflicting Interests.

 

If the Trustee shall have or acquire any conflicting interest within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, it shall either eliminate such conflicting interest or resign to the extent, in the manner and with the effect, and subject to the conditions, provided in the Trust Indenture Act and this Indenture. For purposes of Section 310(b)(1) of the Trust Indenture Act and to the extent permitted thereby, the Trustee, in its capacity as trustee in respect of the Securities of any series, shall not be deemed to have a conflicting interest arising from its capacity as trustee in respect of the Securities of any other series.

 

  

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SECTION 1009.      Corporate Trustee Required; Eligibility.

 

There shall at all times be a Trustee hereunder which shall be

 

(a)           a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America, any State or Territory thereof or the District of Columbia, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority, or

 

(b)           if and to the extent permitted by the Commission by rule, regulation or order upon application, a corporation or other Person organized and doing business under the laws of a foreign government, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000 or the U.S. Dollar equivalent of the applicable foreign currency and subject to supervision or examination by authority of such foreign government or a political subdivision thereof substantially equivalent to supervision or examination applicable to United States institutional trustees,

 

and, in either case, qualified and eligible under this Article and the Trust Indenture Act. If such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of such supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect hereinafter specified in this Article.

 

SECTION 1010.      Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.

 

(a)           No resignation or removal of the Trustee and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article shall become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 1011.

 

(b)           The Trustee may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Company. If the instrument of acceptance by a successor Trustee required by Section 1011 shall not have been delivered to the Trustee within 30 days after the giving of such notice of resignation, the resigning Trustee may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

(c)           The Trustee may be removed at any time by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding delivered to the Trustee and to the Company.

 

  

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(d)           If at any time:

 

(i)           the Trustee shall fail to comply with Section 1008 after written request therefor by the Company or by any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder for at least six months, or

 

(ii)           the Trustee shall cease to be eligible under Section 1009 and shall fail to resign after written request therefor by the Company or by any such Holder, or

 

(iii) the Trustee shall become incapable of acting or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent or a receiver of the Trustee or of its property shall be appointed or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation or liquidation,

 

then, in any such case, (x) the Company by a Board Resolution may remove the Trustee or (y) subject to Section 918, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder for at least six months may, on behalf of itself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of a successor Trustee or Trustees.

 

(e)           If the Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of acting, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of Trustee for any cause (other than as contemplated in clause (y) in subsection (d) of this Section), the Company, by a Board Resolution, shall take prompt steps to appoint a successor Trustee or Trustees and shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 1011. If, within one year after such resignation, removal or incapability, or the occurrence of such vacancy, a successor Trustee shall be appointed by Act of the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding delivered to the Company and the retiring Trustee, the successor Trustee so appointed shall, forthwith upon its acceptance of such appointment in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 1011, become the successor Trustee and to that extent supersede the successor Trustee appointed by the Company. If no successor Trustee shall have been so appointed by the Company or the Holders and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 1011, any Holder who has been a bona fide Holder of a Security for at least six months may, on behalf of itself and all others similarly situated, petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.

 

(f)           So long as no event or circumstance which is, or after notice or lapse of time, or both, would become, an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, if the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee (i) a Board Resolution appointing a successor Trustee, effective as of a date specified therein, and (ii) an instrument of acceptance of such appointment, effective as of such date, by such successor Trustee in accordance with Section 1011, the Trustee shall be deemed to have resigned as contemplated in subsection (b) of this Section, the successor Trustee shall be deemed to have been appointed pursuant to subsection (e) of this Section and such appointment shall be deemed to have been accepted as contemplated in Section 1011, all as of such date, and all other provisions of this Section and Section 1011 shall be applicable to such resignation, appointment and acceptance except to the extent inconsistent with this subsection (f).

 

  

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(g)           The Company shall give notice of each resignation and each removal of the Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee by mailing written notice of such event by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to all Holders as their names and addresses appear in the Security Register. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Trustee and the address of its corporate trust office.

 

SECTION 1011.      Acceptance of Appointment by Successor.

 

(a)           In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Trustee, every such successor Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Company and to the retiring Trustee an instrument accepting such appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Trustee shall become effective and such successor Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Trustee; but, on the request of the Company or the successor Trustee, such retiring Trustee shall, upon payment of all sums owed to it, execute and deliver an instrument transferring to such successor Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts of the retiring Trustee and shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to such successor Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Trustee hereunder.

 

(b)           Upon request of any such successor Trustee, the Company shall execute any instruments which fully vest in and confirm to such successor Trustee all rights, powers and trusts referred to in subsection (a) of this Section.

 

(c)           No successor Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Trustee shall be qualified and eligible under this Article.

 

SECTION 1012.      Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business.

 

Any corporation into which the Trustee may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Trustee shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business of the Trustee, shall be the successor of the Trustee hereunder, provided such corporation shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto. In case any Securities shall have been authenticated, but not delivered, by the Trustee then in office, any successor by merger, conversion or consolidation to such authenticating Trustee may adopt such authentication and deliver the Securities so authenticated with the same effect as if such successor Trustee had itself authenticated such Securities.

 

SECTION 1013.      Preferential Collection of Claims Against Company.

 

If the Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the Company or any other obligor upon the Securities (other than by reason of a relationship described in Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act), the Trustee shall be subject to any and all applicable provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the Company or such other obligor. For purposes of Section 311(b) of the Trust Indenture Act:

 

  

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(a)           the term “cash transaction” means any transaction in which full payment for goods or securities sold is made within seven days after delivery of the goods or securities in currency or in checks or other orders drawn upon banks or bankers and payable upon demand;

 

(b)           the term “self-liquidating paper” means any draft, bill of exchange, acceptance or obligation which is made, drawn, negotiated or incurred by the Company for the purpose of financing the purchase, processing, manufacturing, shipment, storage or sale of goods, wares or merchandise and which is secured by documents evidencing title to, possession of, or a lien upon, the goods, wares or merchandise or the receivables or proceeds arising from the sale of the goods, wares or merchandise previously constituting the security, provided the security is received by the Trustee simultaneously with the creation of the creditor relationship with the Company arising from the making, drawing, negotiating or incurring of the draft, bill of exchange, acceptance or obligation:

 

SECTION 1014.      Co-trustees and Separate Trustees.

 

At any time or times, for the purpose of meeting the legal requirements of any jurisdiction in which any of the Mortgaged Property may at the time be located, the Company and the Trustee shall have power to appoint, and, upon the written request of the Trustee or of the Holders of at least thirty-three percent (33%) in principal amount of the Securities then Outstanding, the Company shall for such purpose join with the Trustee in the execution and delivery of all instruments and agreements necessary or proper to appoint, one or more Persons approved by the Trustee either to act as co-trustee, jointly with the Trustee, of all or any part of the Mortgaged Property, or to act as separate trustee of any such property, in either case with such powers as may be provided in the instrument of appointment, and to vest in such Person or Persons, in the capacity aforesaid, any property, title, right or power deemed necessary or desirable, subject to the other provisions of this Section. If the Company does not join in such appointment within 15 days after the receipt by it of a request so to do, or if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Trustee alone shall have power to make such appointment.

 

Should any written instrument or instruments from the Company be required by any co-trustee or separate trustee so appointed to more fully confirm to such co-trustee or separate trustee such property, title, right or power, any and all such instruments shall, on request, be executed, acknowledged and delivered by the Company.

 

Every co-trustee or separate trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law, but to such extent only, be appointed subject to the following conditions:

 

(a)           the Securities shall be authenticated and delivered, and all rights, powers, duties and obligations hereunder in respect of the custody of securities, cash and other personal property held by, or required to be deposited or pledged with, the Trustee hereunder, shall be exercised solely, by the Trustee;

 

  

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(b)           the rights, powers, duties and obligations hereby conferred or imposed upon the Trustee in respect of any property covered by such appointment shall be conferred or imposed upon and exercised or performed either by the Trustee or by the Trustee and such co-trustee or separate trustee jointly, as shall be provided in the instrument appointing such co-trustee or separate trustee, except to the extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in which any particular act is to be performed, the Trustee shall be incompetent or unqualified to perform such act, in which event such rights, powers, duties and obligations shall be exercised and performed by such co-trustee or separate trustee;

 

(c)           the Trustee at any time, by an instrument in writing executed by it, with the concurrence of the Company, may accept the resignation of or remove any co-trustee or separate trustee appointed under this Section, and, if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Trustee shall have power to accept the resignation of, or remove, any such co-trustee or separate trustee without the concurrence of the Company. Upon the written request of the Trustee, the Company shall join with the Trustee, in the execution and delivery of all instruments and agreements necessary or proper to effectuate such resignation or removal. A successor to any co-trustee or separate trustee so resigned or removed may be appointed in the manner provided in this Section;

 

(d)           no co-trustee or separate trustee hereunder shall be personally liable by reason of any act or omission of the Trustee, or any other such trustee hereunder; and

 

(e)           any Act of Holders delivered to the Trustee shall be deemed to have been delivered to each such co-trustee and separate trustee.

 

SECTION 1015.      Appointment of Authenticating Agent.

 

The Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent or Agents with respect to the Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche thereof, which shall be authorized to act on behalf of the Trustee to authenticate Securities of such series or Tranche issued upon original issuance, exchange, registration of transfer or partial redemption thereof or pursuant to Section 306, and Securities so authenticated shall be entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and shall be valid and obligatory for all purposes as if authenticated by the Trustee hereunder. Wherever reference is made in this Indenture to the authentication and delivery of Securities by the Trustee or the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, such reference shall be deemed to include authentication and delivery on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent and a certificate of authentication executed on behalf of the Trustee by an Authenticating Agent. Each Authenticating Agent shall be acceptable to the Company and shall at all times be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of the United States, any State or Territory thereof or the District of Columbia or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, authorized under such laws to act as Authenticating Agent, having a combined capital and surplus of not less than $50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority. If such Authenticating Agent publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or to the requirements of said supervising or examining authority, then for the purposes of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such Authenticating Agent shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. If at any time an Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, such Authenticating Agent shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in this Section.

 

  

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Any corporation into which an Authenticating Agent may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Authenticating Agent shall be a party, or any corporation succeeding to the corporate agency or corporate trust business of an Authenticating Agent, shall continue to be an Authenticating Agent, provided such corporation shall be otherwise eligible under this Section, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of the Trustee or the Authenticating Agent.

 

An Authenticating Agent may resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Trustee and to the Company. The Trustee may at any time terminate the agency of an Authenticating Agent by giving written notice thereof to such Authenticating Agent and to the Company. Upon receiving such a notice of resignation or upon such a termination, or in case at any time such Authenticating Agent shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Trustee may appoint a successor Authenticating Agent which shall be acceptable to the Company. Any successor Authenticating Agent upon acceptance of its appointment hereunder shall become vested with all the rights, powers and duties of its predecessor hereunder, with like effect as if originally named as an Authenticating Agent. No successor Authenticating Agent shall be appointed unless eligible under the provisions of this Section.

 

The Trustee agrees to pay to each Authenticating Agent from time to time reasonable compensation for its services under this Section, and the Trustee shall be entitled to be reimbursed for such payments in accordance with, and subject to the provisions of, Section 1007.

 

The provisions of Sections 308, 1004 and 1005 shall be applicable to each Authenticating Agent.

 

If an appointment with respect to the Securities of one or more series, or any Tranche thereof, shall be made pursuant to this Section, the Securities of such series or Tranche may have endorsed thereon, in addition to the Trustee’s certificate of authentication, an alternate certificate of authentication substantially in the following form:

 

  

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This is one of the Securities of the series designated therein referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.

 

	 	________________________________________
	 	As Trustee
	 	 
	 	 
	 	By______________________________________
	 	        As Authenticating Agent
	 	 
	 	 
	 	By______________________________________
	 	        Authorized Signatory

                                          

If all of the Securities of a series may not be originally issued at one time, and if the Trustee does not have an office capable of authenticating Securities upon original issuance located in a Place of Payment where the Company wishes to have Securities of such series authenticated upon original issuance, the Trustee, if so requested by the Company in writing (which writing need not comply with Section 105 and need not be accompanied by an Opinion of Counsel), shall appoint, in accordance with this Section and in accordance with such procedures as shall be acceptable to the Trustee, an Authenticating Agent having an office in a Place of Payment designated by the Company with respect to such series of Securities.

 

ARTICLE ELEVEN

 

Lists of Holders; Reports by Trustee and Company

 

SECTION 1101.      Lists of Holders.

 

Semi-annually, not later than June 30 and December 31 in each year, commencing [_______________], and at such other times as the Trustee may request in writing, the Company shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Trustee information as to the names and addresses of the Holders, and the Trustee shall preserve such information and similar information received by it in any other capacity and afford to the Holders access to information so preserved by it, all to such extent, if any, and in such manner as shall be required by the Trust Indenture Act; provided, however, that no such list need be furnished so long as the Trustee shall be the Security Registrar.

 

SECTION 1102.      Reports by Trustee and Company.

 

Not later than July 15 in each year, commencing [________________], the Trustee shall transmit to the Holders and the Commission a report, dated as of the next preceding May 15, with respect to any events and other matters described in Section 313(a) of the Trust Indenture Act, in such manner and to the extent required by the Trust Indenture Act. The Trustee shall transmit to the Holders and the Commission, and the Company shall file with the Trustee (within thirty (30) days after filing with the Commission in the case of reports which pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act must be filed with the Commission and furnished to the Trustee) and transmit to the Holders, such other information, reports and other documents, if any, at such times and in such manner, as shall be required by the Trust Indenture Act.

 

  

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ARTICLE TWELVE

 

Consolidation, Merger, Conveyance or Other Transfer

 

SECTION 1201.      Company may Consolidate, etc., Only on Certain Terms.

 

The Company shall not consolidate with or merge into any other corporation, or convey or otherwise transfer or lease, subject to the Lien of this Indenture, the Mortgaged Property as or substantially as an entirety to any Person, unless:

 

(a)           such consolidation, merger, conveyance or other transfer or lease shall be on such terms as shall fully preserve in all material respects the Lien and security of this Indenture and the rights and powers of the Trustee and the Holders of the Securities hereunder;

 

(b)           the corporation formed by such consolidation or into which the Company is merged or the Person which acquires by conveyance or other transfer, or which leases, the Mortgaged Property as or substantially as an entirety shall be a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the United States of America, any State or Territory thereof or the District of Columbia (such corporation being hereinafter sometimes called the “Successor Corporation”) and shall execute and deliver to the Trustee an indenture supplemental hereto, in form recordable and satisfactory to the Trustee, which:

 

(i)           in the case of a consolidation, merger, conveyance or other transfer, or in the case of a lease if the term thereof extends beyond the last Stated Maturity of the Securities then Outstanding, contains an assumption by the Successor Corporation of the due and punctual payment of the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all the Securities then Outstanding and the performance and observance of every covenant and condition of this Indenture to be performed or observed by the Company, and

 

(ii)           in the case of a consolidation, merger, conveyance or other transfer, contains a grant, conveyance, transfer and mortgage by the Successor Corporation, of the same tenor of the Granting Clauses herein,

 

(A)           confirming the Lien of this Indenture on the Mortgaged Property (as constituted immediately prior to the time such transaction became effective) and subjecting to the Lien of this Indenture all property, real, personal and mixed, thereafter acquired by the Successor Corporation which shall constitute an improvement, extension or addition to the Mortgaged Property (as so constituted) or a renewal, replacement or substitution of or for any part thereof, and, at the election of the Successor Corporation,

 

  

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(B)           subjecting to the Lien of this Indenture such property, real, personal or mixed, in addition to the property described in subclause (A) above, then owned or thereafter acquired by the Successor Corporation as the Successor Corporation shall, in its sole discretion, specify or describe therein,

 

and the Lien confirmed or created by such grant, conveyance, transfer and mortgage shall have force, effect and standing similar to those which the Lien of this Indenture would have had if the Company had not been a party to such consolidation, merger, conveyance or other transfer or lease and had itself, after the time such transaction became effective, purchased, constructed or otherwise acquired the property subject to such grant, conveyance, transfer and mortgage;

 

(c)           in the case of a lease, such lease shall be made expressly subject to termination by the Company or by the Trustee at any time during the continuance of an Event of Default, and also by the purchaser of the property so leased at any sale thereof hereunder, whether such sale be made under the power of sale hereby conferred or pursuant to judicial proceedings; and

 

(d)           the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an Officer’s Certificate and an Opinion of Counsel, each of which shall state that such consolidation, merger, conveyance or other transfer or lease, and such supplemental indenture, comply with this Article and that all conditions precedent herein provided for relating to such transaction have been complied with.

 

SECTION 1202.      Successor Corporation Substituted.

 

Upon any consolidation or merger or any conveyance or other transfer, subject to the Lien of this Indenture, of the Mortgaged Property as or substantially as an entirety in accordance with Section 1201, the Successor Corporation shall succeed to, and be substituted for, and may exercise every power and right of, the Company under this Indenture with the same effect as if such Successor Corporation had been named as the “Company” herein. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing:

 

(a)           all property of the Successor Corporation then subject to the Lien of this Indenture, of the character described in Section 104, shall constitute Property Additions;

 

(b)           the Successor Corporation may execute and deliver to the Trustee, and thereupon the Trustee shall, subject to the provisions of Article Four, authenticate and deliver, Securities upon any basis provided in Article Four; and

 

(c)           the Successor Corporation may, subject to the applicable provisions of this Indenture, cause Property Additions to be applied to any other Authorized Purpose.

 

  

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All Securities so executed by the Successor Corporation, and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee, shall in all respects be entitled to the benefit of the Lien of this Indenture equally and ratably with all Securities executed, authenticated and delivered prior to the time such consolidation, merger, conveyance or other transfer became effective.

 

SECTION 1203.      Extent of Lien Hereof on Property of Successor Corporation.

 

Unless, in the case of a consolidation, merger, conveyance or other transfer contemplated by Section 1201, the indenture supplemental hereto contemplated in clause (b) in Section 1201, or any other indenture, contains a grant, conveyance, transfer and mortgage by the Successor Corporation as described in subclause (ii)(B) thereof, neither this Indenture nor such supplemental indenture shall become or be, or be required to become or be, a Lien upon any of the properties then owned or thereafter acquired by the Successor Corporation except properties acquired from the Company in or as a result of such transaction and improvements, extensions and additions to such properties and renewals, replacements and substitutions of or for any part or parts of such properties.

 

SECTION 1204.      Release of Company upon Conveyance or Other Transfer.

 

In the case of a conveyance or other transfer contemplated in Section 1201, upon the satisfaction of all the conditions specified in Section 1201 the Company (such term being used in this Section without giving effect to such transaction) shall be released and discharged from all obligations and covenants under this Indenture and on and under all Securities then Outstanding unless the Company shall have delivered to the Trustee an instrument in which it shall waive such release and discharge.

 

SECTION 1205.      Merger into Company; Extent of Lien Hereof.

 

(a)           Nothing in this Indenture shall be deemed to prevent or restrict any consolidation or merger after the consummation of which the Company would be the surviving or resulting corporation or any conveyance or other transfer or lease, subject to the Lien of this Indenture, of any part of the Mortgaged Property which does not constitute the entirety, or substantially the entirety, thereof.

 

(b)           Unless, in the case of a consolidation or merger described in subsection (a) of this Section, an indenture supplemental hereto shall otherwise provide, this Indenture shall not become or be, or be required to become or be, a Lien upon any of the properties acquired by the Company in or as a result of such transaction or any improvements, extensions or additions to such properties or any renewals, replacements or substitutions of or for any part or parts of such properties.

 

  

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ARTICLE THIRTEEN

 

Supplemental Indentures

 

SECTION 1301.      Supplemental Indentures Without Consent of Holders.

 

Without the consent of any Holders, the Company and the Trustee, at any time and from time to time, may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of the following purposes:

 

(a)           to evidence the succession of another Person to the Company and the assumption by any such successor of the covenants of the Company herein and in the Securities, all as provided in Article Twelve; or

 

(b)           to add one or more covenants of the Company or other provisions for the benefit of all Holders or for the benefit of the Holders of, or to remain in effect only so long as there shall be Outstanding, Securities of one or more specified series, or one or more specified Tranches thereof, or to surrender any right or power herein conferred upon the Company; or

 

(c)           to correct or amplify the description of any property at any time subject to the Lien of this Indenture; or better to assure, convey and confirm unto the Trustee any property subject or required to be subjected to the Lien of this Indenture; or to subject to the Lien of this Indenture additional property (including property of Persons other than the Company), to specify any additional Permitted Liens with respect to such additional property and to modify Section 702 in order to specify therein any additional items with respect to such additional property; or

 

(d)           to change or eliminate any provision of this Indenture or to add any new provision to this Indenture; provided, however, that if such change, elimination or addition shall adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series or Tranche in any material respect, such change, elimination or addition shall become effective with respect to such series or Tranche only when no Security of such series or Tranche remains Outstanding; or

 

(e)           to establish the form or terms of Securities of any series or Tranche as contemplated by Sections 201 and 301; or

 

(f)           to provide for the authentication and delivery of bearer securities and coupons appertaining thereto representing interest, if any, thereon and for the procedures for the registration, exchange and replacement thereof and for the giving of notice to, and, the solicitation of the vote or consent of, the holders thereof, and for any and all other matters incidental thereto; or

 

(g)           to evidence and provide for the acceptance of appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee or by a co-trustee or separate trustee and to add to or change any of the provisions of this Indenture as shall be necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the trusts hereunder by more than one trustee; or

 

  

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(h)           to provide for the procedures required to permit the Company to utilize, at its option, a non-certificated system of registration for all, or any series or Tranche of, the Securities; or

 

(i)           to change any place or places where (1) the principal of and premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all or any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, shall be payable, (2) all or any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, may be surrendered for registration of transfer, (3) all or any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, may be surrendered for exchange and (4) notices and demands to or upon the Company in respect of all or any series of Securities, or any Tranche thereof, and this Indenture may be served; or

 

(j)           to amend and restate this Indenture, as originally executed and delivered and as it may have been subsequently amended, in its entirety, but with such additions, deletions and other changes as shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of the Securities in any material respect;

 

(k)           to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provision herein which may be defective or inconsistent with any other provision herein; or to make any other additions to, deletions from and other changes to the provisions hereof, provided that such additions, deletions and/or changes shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of any series or Tranche in any material respect; or

 

(l)           to modify, eliminate or add to the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to effect the qualification of this Indenture under the Trust Indenture Act, or under any similar federal statute hereafter enacted, and to add to this Indenture such other provisions as may be expressly permitted by the Trust Indenture Act, excluding, however the provisions referred to in Section 316(a)(2) of the Trust Indenture Act as in effect at the date as of which this instrument was executed or any corresponding provision in any similar federal statue hereafter enacted; or

 

(m)           to supplement any of the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary to permit or facilitate the discharge of any series of Securities pursuant to Section 802; provided that any such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the Holders of Securities of such series or any other series of Securities in any material respect; or

 

(n)           to comply with the rules or regulations of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which any of the Securities may be listed or traded.

 

  

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Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the Trust Indenture Act as in effect at the date of the execution and delivery of this Indenture or at any time thereafter shall be amended and

 

(x)           if any such amendment shall require one or more changes to any provisions hereof or the inclusion herein of any additional provisions, or shall by operation of law be deemed to effect such changes or incorporate such provisions by reference or otherwise, this Indenture shall be deemed to have been amended so as to conform to such amendment to the Trust Indenture Act, and the Company and the Trustee may, without the consent of any Holders, enter into an indenture supplemental hereto to evidence such amendment hereof; or

 

(y)           if any such amendment shall permit one or more changes which are not adverse to the Company to, or the elimination of, any provisions hereof imposing restrictions on, or obligations of, the Company which, at the date of the execution and delivery hereof or at any time thereafter, are required by the Trust Indenture Act to be contained herein or are contained herein to reflect any provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as in effect at such date, this Indenture shall be deemed to have been amended to effect such changes or elimination, and the Company and the Trustee may, without the consent of any Holders, enter into an indenture supplemental hereto to evidence such amendment hereof.

 

SECTION 1302.      Supplemental Indentures With Consent of Holders.

 

With the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Securities of all series then Outstanding under this Indenture, considered as one class, by Act of said Holders delivered to the Company and the Trustee, the Company, when authorized by a Board Resolution, and the Trustee may enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to, or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of, this Indenture; provided, however, that if there shall be Securities of more than one series Outstanding hereunder and if a proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Securities of one or more, but less than all, of such series, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that if the Securities of any series shall have been issued in more than one Tranche and if the proposed supplemental indenture shall directly affect the rights of the Holders of Securities of one or more, but less than all, of such Tranches, then the consent only of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all Tranches so directly affected, considered as one class, shall be required; and provided, further, that no such supplemental indenture shall:

 

(a)           change the Stated Maturity of the principal of, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount thereof or the rate of interest thereon (or the amount of any installment of interest thereon) or change the method of calculating such rate or reduce any premium payable upon the redemption thereof, or reduce the amount of the principal of any Discount Security that would be due and payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 902, or change the coin or currency (or other property), in which any Security or any premium or the interest thereon is payable, or impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after the Stated Maturity of any Security (or, in the case of redemption, on or after the Redemption Date), without, in any such case, the consent of the Holder of such Security; or

 

  

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(b)           permit the creation of any Lien (not otherwise permitted hereby) ranking prior to the Lien of this Indenture with respect to all or substantially all of the Mortgaged Property or terminate the Lien of this Indenture on all or substantially all of the Mortgaged Property, or deprive the Holders of the benefit of the Lien of this Indenture, without, in any such case, the consent of the Holders of all Securities then Outstanding; or

 

(c)           reduce the percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, the consent of the Holders of which is required for any such supplemental indenture, or the consent of the Holders of which is required for any waiver of compliance with any provision of this Indenture or of any default hereunder and its consequences, or reduce the requirements of Section 1404 for quorum or voting, without, in any such case, the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series or Tranche; or

 

(d)           modify any of the provisions of this Section, Section 609 or Section 917 with respect to the Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof (except to increase the percentages in principal amount referred to in this Section or such other Sections or to provide that other provisions of this Indenture cannot be modified or waived),without, in any such case, the consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Security of such series or Tranche; provided, however, that this clause shall not be deemed to require the consent of any Holder with respect to changes in the references to “the Trustee” and concomitant changes in this Section, or the deletion of this proviso, in accordance with the requirements of Section 1301(g).

 

A supplemental indenture which (x) changes or eliminates any covenant or other provision of this Indenture which has expressly been included solely for the benefit of the Holders of, or which is to remain in effect only so long as there shall be Outstanding, Securities of one or more specified series, or one or more Tranches thereof, or (y) modifies the rights of the Holders of Securities of such series or Tranches with respect to such covenant or other provision, shall be deemed not to affect the rights under this Indenture of the Holders of Securities of any other series or Tranche.

 

It shall not be necessary for any Act of Holders under this Section to approve the particular form of any proposed supplemental indenture, but it shall be sufficient if such Act shall approve the substance thereof.

 

Anything in this Indenture to the contrary notwithstanding, if the Officer’s Certificate, supplemental indenture or Board Resolution, as the case may be, establishing the Securities of any series or Tranche shall provide that the Company may make certain specified additions, changes or eliminations to or from the Indenture which shall be specified in such Officer’s Certificate, supplemental indenture or Board Resolution establishing such series or Tranche, (a) the Holders of Securities of such series or Tranche shall be deemed to have consented to a supplemental indenture containing such additions, changes or eliminations to or from the Indenture which shall be specified in such Officer’s Certificate, supplemental indenture or Board Resolution establishing such series or Tranche, (b) no Act of such Holders shall be required to evidence such consent and (c) such consent may be counted in the determination of whether or not the Holders of the requisite principal amount of Securities shall have consented to such supplemental indenture.

 

  

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SECTION 1303.      Execution of Supplemental Indentures.

 

In executing, or accepting the additional trusts created by, any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article or the modifications thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall be entitled to receive, and (subject to Section 1001) shall be fully protected in relying upon, an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such supplemental indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture. The Trustee may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such supplemental indenture which affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties, immunities or liabilities under this Indenture or otherwise.

 

SECTION 1304.      Effect of Supplemental Indentures.

 

Upon the execution of any supplemental indenture under this Article this Indenture shall be modified in accordance therewith, and such supplemental indenture shall form a part of this Indenture for all purposes; and every Holder of Securities theretofore or thereafter authenticated and delivered hereunder shall be bound thereby. Any supplemental indenture permitted by this Article may restate this Indenture in its entirety, and, upon the execution and delivery thereof, any such restatement shall supersede this Indenture as theretofore in effect for all purposes.

 

SECTION 1305.      Conformity With Trust Indenture Act.

 

Every supplemental indenture executed pursuant to this Article shall conform to the requirements of the Trust Indenture Act.

 

SECTION 1306.      Reference in Securities to Supplemental Indentures.

 

Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, authenticated and delivered after the execution of any supplemental indenture pursuant to this Article may, and shall if required by the Trustee, bear a notation in form approved by the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such supplemental indenture. If the Company shall so determine, new Securities of any series, or any Tranche thereof, so modified as to conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Company, to any such supplemental indenture may be prepared and executed by the Company and authenticated and delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranche.

 

  

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ARTICLE FOURTEEN

 

Meetings of Holders; Action Without Meeting

 

SECTION 1401.      Purposes for Which Meetings May Be Called.

 

A meeting of Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, may be called at any time and from time to time pursuant to this Article to make, give or take any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Indenture to be made, given or taken by Holders of Securities of such series or Tranches.

 

SECTION 1402.      Call, Notice and Place of Meetings.

 

(a)           The Trustee may at any time call a meeting of Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, for any purpose specified in Section 1401, to be held at such time and (except as provided in subsection (b) of this Section) at such place in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, as the Trustee shall determine, or, with the approval of the Company, at any other place. Notice of every such meeting, setting forth the time and the place of such meeting and in general terms the action proposed to be taken at such meeting, shall be given, in the manner provided in Section 109, not less than 21 nor more than 180 days prior to the date fixed for the meeting.

 

(b)           The Trustee may be asked to call a meeting of the Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, by the Company or by the Holders of thirty-three percent (33%) in aggregate principal amount of all of such series and Tranches, considered as one class, for any purpose specified in Section 1401, by written request setting forth in reasonable detail the action proposed to be taken at the meeting. If the Trustee shall have been asked by the Company to call such a meeting, the Company shall determine the time and place for such meeting and may call such meeting by giving notice thereof in the manner provided in subsection (a) of this Section, or shall direct the Trustee, in the name and at the expense of the Company, to give such notice. If the Trustee shall have been asked to call such a meeting by Holders in accordance with this subsection (b), and the Trustee shall not have given the notice of such meeting within 21 days after receipt of such request or shall not thereafter proceed to cause the meeting to be held as provided herein, then the Holders of Securities of such series and Tranches in the amount above specified, may determine the time and the place in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, or in such other place as shall be determined or approved by the Company, for such meeting and may call such meeting for such purposes by giving notice thereof as provided in subsection (a) of this Section.

 

(c)           Any meeting of Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, shall be valid without notice if the Holders of all Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranches are present in person or by proxy and if representatives of the Company and the Trustee are present, or if notice is waived in writing before or after the meeting by the Holders of all Outstanding Securities of such series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, or by such of them as are not present at the meeting in person or by proxy, and by the Company and the Trustee.

 

  

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SECTION 1403.      Persons Entitled to Vote at Meetings.

 

To be entitled to vote at any meeting. of Holders of Securities of one or more, or all, series, or any Tranche or Tranches thereof, a Person shall be (a) a Holder of one or more Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranches, or (b) a Person appointed by an instrument in writing as proxy for a Holder or Holders of one or more Outstanding Securities of such series or Tranches by such Holder or Holders. The only Persons who shall be entitled to attend any meeting of Holders of Securities of any series or Tranche shall be the Persons entitled to vote at such meeting and their counsel, any representatives of the Trustee and its counsel and any representatives of the Company and its counsel.

 

SECTION 1404.      Quorum; Action.

 

The Persons entitled to vote a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of the series and Tranches with respect to which a meeting shall have been called as hereinbefore provided, considered as one class, shall constitute a quorum for a meeting of Holders of Securities of such series and Tranches; provided, however, that if any action is to be taken at such meeting which this Indenture expressly provides may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority, in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches, considered as one class, the Persons entitled to vote such specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches, considered as one class, shall constitute a quorum. In the absence of a quorum within one hour of the time appointed for any such meeting, the meeting shall, if convened at the request of Holders of Securities of such series and Tranches, be dissolved. In any other case the meeting may be adjourned for such period as may be determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such meeting. In the absence of a quorum at any such adjourned meeting, such adjourned meeting may be further adjourned for such period as may be determined by the chairman of the meeting prior to the adjournment of such adjourned meeting. Except as provided by Section 1405(e), notice of the reconvening of any meeting adjourned for more than 30 days shall be given as provided in Section 109 not less than ten days prior to the date on which the meeting is scheduled to be reconvened. Notice of the reconvening of an adjourned meeting shall state expressly the percentage, as provided above, of the principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches which shall constitute a quorum.

 

Except as limited by Section 1302, any resolution presented to a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present as aforesaid may be adopted only by the affirmative vote of the Holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of the series and Tranches with respect to which such meeting shall have been called, considered as one class; provided, however, that, except as so limited, any resolution with respect to any action which this Indenture expressly provides may be taken by the Holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority, in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches, considered as one class, may be adopted at a meeting or an adjourned meeting duly reconvened and at which a quorum is present as aforesaid by the affirmative vote of the Holders of such specified percentage in principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of such series and Tranches, considered as one class.

 

  

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Any resolution passed or decision taken at any meeting of Holders of Securities duly held in accordance with this Section shall be binding on all the Holders of Securities of the series and Tranches with respect to which such meeting shall have been held, whether or not present or represented at the meeting.

 

SECTION 1405.      Attendance at Meetings; Determination of Voting Rights; Conduct and Adjournment of Meetings.

 

(a)           Attendance at meetings of Holders of Securities may be in person or by proxy; and, to the extent permitted by law, any such proxy shall remain in effect and, be binding upon any future Holder of the Securities with respect to which it was given unless and until specifically revoked by the Holder or future Holder of such Securities before being voted.

 

(b)           Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Indenture, the Trustee may make such reasonable regulations as it may deem advisable for any meeting of Holders of Securities in regard to proof of the holding of such Securities and of the appointment of proxies and in regard to the appointment and duties of inspectors of votes, the submission and examination of proxies, certificates and other evidence of the right to vote, and such other matters concerning the conduct of the meeting as it shall deem appropriate. Except as otherwise permitted or required by any such regulations, the holding of Securities shall be proved in the manner specified in Section 107 and the appointment of any proxy shall be proved in the manner specified in Section 107. Such regulations may provide that written instruments appointing proxies, regular on their face, may be presumed valid and genuine without the proof specified in Section 107 or other proof.

 

(c)           The Trustee shall, by an instrument in writing, appoint a temporary chairman of the meeting, unless the meeting shall have been called by the Company or by Holders as provided in Section 1402(b), in which case the Company or the Holders of Securities of the series and Tranches calling the meeting, as the case may be, shall in like manner appoint a temporary chairman. A permanent chairman and a permanent secretary of the meeting shall be elected by vote of the Persons entitled to vote a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series and Tranches represented at the meeting, considered as one class.

 

(d)           At any meeting each Holder or proxy shall be entitled to one vote for each $1,000 principal amount of Outstanding Securities held or represented by such Holder; provided, however, that no vote shall be cast or counted at any meeting in respect of any Security challenged as not Outstanding and ruled by the chairman of the meeting to be not Outstanding. The chairman of the meeting shall have no right to vote, except as a Holder of a Security or proxy.

 

(e)           Any meeting duly called pursuant to Section 1402 at which a quorum is present may be adjourned from time to time by Persons entitled to vote a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Securities of all series and Tranches represented at the meeting, considered as one class; and the meeting may be held as so adjourned without further notice.

 

  

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SECTION 1406.      Counting Votes and Recording Action of Meetings.

 

The vote upon any resolution submitted to any meeting of Holders shall be by written ballots on which shall be subscribed the signatures of the Holders or of their representatives by proxy and the principal amounts and serial numbers of the Outstanding Securities, of the series and Tranches with respect to which the meeting shall have been called, held or represented by them. The permanent chairman of the meeting shall appoint two inspectors of votes who shall count all votes cast at the meeting for or against any resolution and who shall make and file with the secretary of the meeting their verified written reports of all votes cast at the meeting. A record of the proceedings of each meeting of Holders shall be prepared by the secretary of the meeting and there shall be attached to said record the original reports of the inspectors of votes on any vote by ballot taken thereat and affidavits by one or more persons having knowledge of the facts setting forth a copy of the notice of the meeting and showing that said notice was given as provided in Section 1402 and, if applicable, Section 1404. Each copy shall be signed and verified by the affidavits of the permanent chairman and secretary of the meeting and one such copy shall be delivered to the Company, and another to the Trustee to be preserved by the Trustee, the latter to have attached thereto the ballots voted at the meeting. Any record so signed and verified shall be conclusive evidence of the matters therein stated.

 

SECTION 1407.      Action Without Meeting.

 

In lieu of a vote of Holders at a meeting as hereinbefore contemplated in this Article, any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action may be made, given or taken by Holders by written instruments as provided in Section 107.

 

ARTICLE FIFTEEN

 

Immunity of Incorporators, Stockholders, Officers and Directors

 

SECTION 1501.      Liability Solely Corporate.

 

No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest, if any, on any Securities, or any part thereof, or for any claim based thereon or otherwise in respect thereof, or of the indebtedness represented thereby, or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement under this Indenture, against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation (either directly or through the Company or a predecessor or successor corporation), whether by virtue of any constitutional provision, statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or otherwise; it being expressly agreed and understood that this Indenture and all the Securities are solely corporate obligations, and that no personal liability whatsoever shall attach to, or be incurred by, any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, as such, past, present or future, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, either directly or indirectly through the Company or any predecessor or successor corporation, because of the indebtedness hereby authorized or under or by reason of any of the obligations, covenants or agreements contained in this Indenture or in any of the Securities or to be implied herefrom or therefrom, and that any such personal liability is hereby expressly waived and released as a condition of, and as part of the consideration for, the execution of this Indenture and the issuance of the Securities.

 

This Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same Indenture.

 

_____________________________________________

 

  

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Indenture to be duly executed as of the Effective Date.

 

SOUTHWESTERN PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY

 

	 	 
	 	By______________________________________
	 	      Its:___________________________________
	 	 
	 	 
	 	_____________________________________, Trustee
	 	 

 

	 	By______________________________________
	 	      Its:___________________________________
	 	 

 

  

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	STATE OF_________________________________________ )	 	 	 
	
                                                                                                                    ) ss.

	
 

	 	 
	COUNTY OF_______________________________________ )	 	 	 

 

This instrument was acknowledged before me on the ____ day of _______, 2011, by ______________________, the ______________________________ of Southwestern Public Service Company, a New Mexico corporation, on behalf of said corporation.

	 	 
	 	Notary Public, State of	 
	 	My commission expires: 	 
	(Seal, if any)	 	 

 

  

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	STATE OF_________________________________________ )	 	 	 
	
                                                                                                                    ) ss.

	
 

	 	 
	COUNTY OF_______________________________________ )	 	 	 

 

This instrument was acknowledged before me on the ____ day of _______, 2011, by ______________________, the ______________________________ of _____________, a _______________, on behalf of said __________________.

	 	 
	 	Notary Public, State of	 
	 	My commission expires: 	 
	(Seal, if any)	 	 

 

  

- 114 -

  

 

EXHIBIT A

[Intentionally Omitted]

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