SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D. C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Georgia 1-6468 58-0257110 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (State or other jurisdiction (Commission File (IRS Employer Identification of incorporation) Number) No.) 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30308 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) Registrant's telephone number, including area code (404) 506-6526 ---------------------------- |
(c) Exhibits.
1.1 Underwriting Agreement relating to the Series N Senior Notes, dated April 11, 2003, among the Company and Banc One Capital Markets, Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Blaylock & Partners, L.P., as the Underwriters. 1.2 Underwriting Agreement relating to the Series O Senior Notes, dated April 10, 2003, between the Company and Banc of America Securities LLC, as Representative of the Underwriters named therein. 1.3 Underwriting Agreement relating to the Series P Senior Notes, dated April 11, 2003, among the Company and Goldman, Sachs & Co., as the Underwriter. 4.1 Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture to Senior Note Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003, providing for the issuance of the Company's Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023. 4.2 Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture to Senior Note Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003, providing for the issuance of the Company's Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033. 4.3 Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture to Senior Note Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003, providing for the issuance of the Company's Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005. 4.7 Form of Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023. (included in Exhibit 4.1 above). 4.8 Form of Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033. (included in Exhibit 4.2 above). 4.9 Form of Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005. (included in Exhibit 4.3 above). 5.1 Opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP relating to the Series N Senior Notes. 5.2 Opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP relating to the Series O Senior Notes. 5.3 Opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP relating to the Series P Senior Notes. 12.1 Computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges. |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: April 15, 2003 GEORGIA POWER COMPANY By /s/Wayne Boston Wayne Boston Assistant Secretary |
Exhibit 1.1
$150,000,000 Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
April 10, 2003
Banc of America Securities LLC
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Georgia Power Company, a Georgia corporation (the "Company"),
confirms its agreement (the "Agreement") with you and each of the other
Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (collectively, the "Underwriters", which
term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in
Section 10 hereof) for whom you are acting as representative (in such capacity
you shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Representative"), with respect to
the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally
and not jointly, of $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Series O
5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033 (the "Senior Notes") as set forth in
Schedule I hereto.
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Senior Notes as soon as the Representative deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered. The Senior Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 (the "Base Indenture"), by and between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as to be further supplemented and amended by a fifteenth supplemental indenture, dated as of April 15, 2003, to the Base Indenture relating to the Senior Notes (the "Supplemental Indenture" and, together with the Base Indenture and any other amendments or supplements thereto, the "Indenture"), between the Company and the Trustee.
SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as follows:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (File Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02), in respect of the Senior Notes and certain other securities has been prepared and filed in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); such registration statement, as amended, and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered or to be delivered to the Underwriters, has been declared effective by the Commission in such form (except that copies of the registration statement, as amended, and any post-effective amendment delivered to the Underwriters need not include exhibits but shall include all documents incorporated by reference therein); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus, as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement, included in such registration statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act, being hereinafter called a "Preliminary Prospectus"); such registration statement, as it became effective, including the exhibits thereto and all documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 at the time such registration statement became effective, being hereinafter called the "Registration Statement"; the prospectus relating to the Senior Notes, in the form in which it was included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective, being hereinafter called the "Prospectus"; any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; the Prospectus as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement dated April 9, 2003, relating to the Senior Notes, including any documents incorporated by reference therein as of such date, being hereinafter called the "Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus"; and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented in final form by a prospectus supplement relating to the Senior Notes in the form in which it is filed with the Commission, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act in accordance with Section 3(e) hereof, including any documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such filing, being hereinafter called the "Final Supplemented Prospectus".
(b) The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and as of such time of filing, when read together with the Prospectus, none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and, when read together with the Prospectus as it otherwise may be amended or supplemented, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the Company makes no warranty or representation to the Underwriters with respect to: (A) any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representative expressly for use in the Final Supplemented Prospectus; or (B) any information set forth in the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series O Senior Notes-- Book-Entry Only Issuance-- The Depository Trust Company".
(c) The Registration Statement, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus comply, and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, when any such post-effective amendments are declared effective or supplements are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will comply, in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1939 Act (hereinafter defined) and the General Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, (i) as of the applicable effective date as to the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, (ii) as of the date of the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus and (iii) as of the date of the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any Prospectus as further amended or supplemented, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the case of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, and, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading in the case of the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any Prospectus as further amended or supplemented; except that the Company makes no warranties or representations with respect to: (A) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statements of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act"); (B) statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriters through the Representative expressly for use therein; or (C) any information set forth in the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series O Senior Notes-- Book-Entry Only Issuance-- The Depository Trust Company".
(d) With respect to the Registration Statement, the conditions for use of Form S-3, as set forth in the General Instructions thereof, have been satisfied.
(e) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there has been no material adverse change in the business, properties or financial condition of the Company.
(f) The Company is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged and to own and operate the properties used by it in such business, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Indenture and to issue and sell the Senior Notes to the Underwriters.
(g) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(h) The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee, the Indenture will, on the Closing Date, constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally or (2) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) (the "Enforceability Exceptions"); the Indenture will conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Final Supplemented Prospectus; and, on the Closing Date, the Indenture will have been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.
(i) The issuance and delivery of the Senior Notes have been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date, the Senior Notes will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor as described in the Final Supplemented Prospectus, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions, will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture and will conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
(j) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Indenture and the Senior Notes and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and do not and will not result in any violation of the charter or bylaws of the Company, and do not and will not conflict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company under (A) any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of its properties may be subject (except for conflicts, breaches or defaults which would not, individually or in the aggregate, be materially adverse to the Company or materially adverse to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement), or (B) any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, or any regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, or any of its properties.
(k) No authorization, approval, consent or order of any court or governmental
authority or agency is necessary in connection with the issuance and sale
by the Company of the Senior Notes or the transactions by the Company
contemplated in this Agreement, except (A) such as may be required under
the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder; (B) such as may be
required under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended;
(C) the qualification of the Indenture under the 1939 Act; (D) the approval
of the Georgia Public Service Commission (the "Georgia Commission"); and
(E) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or
qualifications as may be required under state securities or "blue sky"
laws.
(l) The financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of and for the dates indicated; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis (except that the unaudited financial statements may be subject to normal year-end adjustments) throughout the periods involved and necessarily include amounts that are based on the best estimates and judgments of management. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited and unaudited financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
(a) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, the principal amount of Senior Notes set forth in Schedule I to this Agreement opposite the name of such Underwriter (plus any additional amount of Senior Notes that such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof), at a price equal to 96.85% of the principal amount thereof.
(b) Payment of the purchase price and delivery of certificates for the Senior Notes shall be made at the offices of Dewey Ballantine LLP, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on April 15, 2003 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10) or such other time, place or date as shall be agreed upon by the Representative and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the "Closing Date"). Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer in federal funds at the Closing Date against delivery of the Senior Notes to the Representative. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representative, for each Underwriter's account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the principal amount of the Senior Notes which each Underwriter has agreed to purchase. The Representative, individually and not as a representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the principal amount of the Senior Notes to be purchased by any Underwriter whose payment has not been received by the Closing Date, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.
The delivery of the Senior Notes shall be made in fully registered form, registered in the name of CEDE & CO., to the offices of The Depository Trust Company in New York, New York or its designee, and the Underwriters shall accept such delivery.
The certificate(s) for the Senior Notes will be made available for examination by the Representative not later than 12:00 Noon, New York time, on the last business day prior to the Closing Date.
SECTION 3. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company covenants with the Underwriters as follows:
(a) The Company, on or prior to the Closing Date, will deliver to the Underwriters conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of all amendments thereto, heretofore or hereafter made, including any post-effective amendment (in each case including all exhibits filed therewith, and including unsigned copies of each consent and certificate included therein or filed as an exhibit thereto, except exhibits incorporated by reference, unless specifically requested). As soon as the Company is advised thereof, it will advise the Representative orally of the issuance of any stop order under the 1933 Act with respect to the Registration Statement, or the institution of any proceedings therefor, of which the Company shall have received notice, and will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and to secure the prompt removal thereof, if issued. The Company will deliver to the Representative sufficient conformed copies of the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and of all supplements and amendments thereto (in each case without exhibits) for distribution to the Underwriters and, from time to time, as many copies of the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus, the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus as the Underwriters may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act.
(b) The Company will furnish the Underwriters with copies of each amendment and supplement to the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus relating to the offering of the Senior Notes in such quantities as the Underwriters may from time to time reasonably request. If, during the period (not exceeding nine months) when the delivery of a prospectus shall be required by law in connection with the sale of any Senior Notes by an Underwriter, any event relating to or affecting the Company, or of which the Company shall be advised in writing by the Underwriters, shall occur, which in the opinion of the Company or of Underwriters' counsel should be set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to make the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus not misleading in the light of the circumstances when it is delivered, or if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such period to amend or supplement the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus or to file under the 1934 Act any document incorporated by reference in the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus in order to comply with the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, the Company forthwith will (i) notify the Underwriters to suspend solicitation of purchases of the Senior Notes and (ii) at its expense, make any such filing or prepare and furnish to the Underwriters a reasonable number of copies of a supplement or supplements or an amendment or amendments to the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus which will supplement or amend the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus so that, as supplemented or amended, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus is delivered, not misleading or which will effect any other necessary compliance. In case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus in connection with the sale of any Senior Notes after the expiration of the period specified in the preceding sentence, the Company, upon the request of such Underwriter, will furnish to such Underwriter, at the expense of such Underwriter, a reasonable quantity of a supplemented or amended prospectus, or supplements or amendments to the Final Supplemented Prospectus, complying with Section 10(a) of the 1933 Act. During the period specified in the second sentence of this subsection, the Company will continue to prepare and file with the Commission on a timely basis all documents or amendments required under the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; provided, that the Company shall not file such documents or amendments without also furnishing copies thereof prior to such filing to the Representative and Dewey Ballantine LLP.
(c) The Company will endeavor, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Senior Notes for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and the other jurisdictions of the United States as the Representative may designate; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to file a consent to service of process or to file annual reports or to comply with any other requirements in connection with such qualification deemed by the Company to be unduly burdensome.
(d) The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable but not later than 45 days after the close of the period covered thereby, an earnings statement of the Company (in form complying with the provisions of Rule 158 of the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the Company's fiscal quarter next following the "effective date" (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
(e) The Company will use its best efforts to effect the listing of the Senior Notes on the New York Stock Exchange.
(f) As soon as practicable after the date of this Agreement, and in any event within the time prescribed by Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, to file the Final Supplemented Prospectus with the Commission and to advise the Representative of such filing and to confirm such advice in writing.
(g) During a period of 15 days from the date of this Agreement, the Company will not, without the Representative's prior written consent, directly or indirectly, sell, offer to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, any Senior Notes or any security convertible into or exchangeable into or exercisable for the Senior Notes or any debt securities substantially similar to the Senior Notes (except for the Senior Notes issued pursuant to this Agreement, the Series N Senior Notes and the Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes). The Representative agrees that commercial paper or other debt securities with scheduled maturities of less than one year are not subject to this Section 3(g).
SECTION 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company will pay all
expenses incidental to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement,
including but not limited to, the expenses of (i) the printing and filing of the
Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii)
the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificate(s) for the Senior
Notes, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel and
accountants, (iv) the qualification of the Senior Notes under securities laws in
accordance with the provisions of Section 3(c) hereof, including filing fees and
the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in
connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of any blue sky
survey (such fees and disbursements of counsel shall not exceed $3,500), (v) the
printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Registration
Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto and of the
Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus, the Prospectus, the Final Supplemented
Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the printing and
delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any blue sky survey, (vii) the fee of
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. in connection with its
review of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, if applicable, (viii) the
fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and disbursements of
counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Senior Notes,
(ix) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Senior Notes, (x) the
fees and expenses incurred in connection with the listing of the Senior Notes on
the New York Stock Exchange, (xi) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or
registrar and (xii) the cost of qualifying the Senior Notes with The Depository
Trust Company.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 9 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay all other expenses incurred by them in connection with their offering of the Senior Notes, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, Dewey Ballantine LLP.
SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Senior Notes are subject to the following conditions:
(a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect on the Closing Date and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending before, or to the knowledge of the Company threatened by, the Commission on such date. If filing of the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, is required pursuant to Rule 424, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any such supplement, shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424.
(b) Any required orders of the Georgia Commission and the Commission permitting the transactions contemplated hereby substantially in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof shall be in full force and effect and shall contain no provision unacceptable to the Underwriters or the Company (but all provisions of such order or orders heretofore entered, copies of which have heretofore been delivered to the Representative, are deemed acceptable to the Underwriters and the Company and all provisions of such order or orders hereafter entered shall be deemed acceptable to the Underwriters and the Company unless within 24 hours after receiving a copy of any such order any party to this Agreement shall give notice to the other parties to the effect that such order contains an unacceptable provision).
(c) On the Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received:
(1) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Troutman Sanders LLP, counsel for the Company, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule II.
(2) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, counsel to the Trustee, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule III.
(3) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule IV.
(4) At the Closing Date, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, any material adverse change in the business, properties or financial condition of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representative shall have received a certificate of the President or any Vice President of the Company, and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1 hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied on or prior to the Closing Date, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been initiated or, to the knowledge of such Officer, threatened by the Commission.
(5) On the Closing Date, the Representative shall have received from Deloitte &
Touche LLP a letter dated the Closing Date to the effect that: (A) they are
independent public accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of
the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act; (B) in their
opinion, the financial statements audited by them and incorporated by reference
in the Final Supplemented Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects
with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and
regulations under the 1934 Act; and (C) on the basis of certain limited
procedures performed through a specified date not more than five business days
prior to the date of such letter, namely (i) reading the minute books of the
Company; (ii) performing the procedures specified by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants for a review of interim financial information as
described in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 71, "Interim Financial
Information", on the unaudited financial statements, if any, of the Company
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and of the latest available
unaudited financial statements of the Company, if any, for any calendar quarter
subsequent to the date of those incorporated in the Prospectus; and (iii) making
inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have responsibility for
financial and accounting matters regarding such unaudited financial statements
or any specified unaudited amounts derived therefrom (it being understood that
the foregoing procedures do not constitute an audit performed in accordance with
generally accepted auditing standards and they would not necessarily reveal
matters of significance with respect to the comments made in such letter, and
accordingly that Deloitte & Touche LLP make no representations as to the
sufficiency of such procedures for the Underwriters' purposes), nothing came to
their attention that caused them to believe that: (1) any material modifications
should be made to the unaudited condensed financial statements, if any,
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, for them to be in conformity with
GAAP; (2) such unaudited condensed financial statements do not comply as to form
in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1934
Act as it applies to Form 10-Q and the related published rules and regulations
thereunder; (3) the unaudited amounts for Operating Revenues, Earnings Before
Income Taxes and Net Income After Dividends on Preferred Stock and the unaudited
Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Earnings to Fixed Charges Plus Preferred
Dividend Requirements (Pre-Income Tax Basis) set forth in the Prospectus do not
agree with the amounts set forth in or derived from the unaudited financial
statements for the same period (4) as of a specified date not more than five
business days prior to the date of delivery of such letter, there has been any
change in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any decrease in
net assets as compared with amounts shown in the latest audited balance sheet
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in each case for changes or
decreases which (i) the Prospectus discloses have occurred or may occur, (ii)
are occasioned by the declaration of dividends, (iii) are occasioned by
draw-downs and regularly scheduled payments of capitalized lease obligations,
(iv) are occasioned by the purchase or redemption of bonds or stock to satisfy
mandatory or optional redemption provisions relating thereto, (v) are occasioned
by reclassification of current maturities of long-term debt or (vi) are
disclosed in such letter; and (5) the unaudited amounts for Operating Revenues,
Earnings Before Income Taxes and Net Income After Dividends on Preferred Stock
and the unaudited Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Earnings to Fixed
Charges Plus Preferred Dividend Requirements (Pre-Income Tax Basis) for any
calendar quarter subsequent to those set forth in (3) above, which, if
available, shall be set forth in such letter, do not agree with the amounts set
forth in or derived from the unaudited financial statements for the same period
or were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with that of the
corresponding audited amounts or ratios included or incorporated by reference in
the Prospectus.
(6) On the Closing Date, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as it may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated and related proceedings, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representative and Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
(7) On the Closing Date, the Senior Notes shall have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange upon notice of issuance.
(8) That no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement (including any filing made by the Company pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act) shall be unsatisfactory in form to Dewey Ballantine LLP or shall contain information (other than with respect to an amendment or supplement relating solely to the activity of the Underwriters) which, in the reasonable judgment of the Representative, shall materially impair the marketability of the Senior Notes.
(9) The Company shall have performed its obligations when and as provided under this Agreement.
If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representative by notice to the Company at any time prior to the Closing Date, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Sections 4, 7 and 9(b) hereof.
The obligations of the Company shall be subject to the conditions set forth in the first sentence of Section 5(a) and in Section 5(b). In case such conditions shall not have been fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company by mailing or delivering written notice thereof to the Representative. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as otherwise provided in Sections 4, 7 and 9(b) hereof.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of
the Underwriters and each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934
Act, against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or
several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the 1933 Act,
1934 Act or otherwise, and to reimburse any such Underwriter and such
controlling person or persons, if any, for any legal or other expenses incurred
by them in connection with defending any actions, insofar as such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or actions arise out of or are based upon any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Supplemented
Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus or, if the
Company shall furnish to the Underwriters any amendments or any supplements
thereto, or shall make any filings pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act
which are incorporated by reference therein, in any Preliminary Prospectus, the
Registration Statement, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus, the Prospectus
or the Final Supplemented Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, or arise out
of or are based upon any omission or alleged omission to state therein a
material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements
therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages,
liabilities or actions arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement
or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission which was made in
such Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, Preliminary Supplemented
Prospectus, Prospectus or Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in
conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by any
Underwriter through the Representative for use therein and except that this
indemnity with respect to the Preliminary Prospectus, the Preliminary
Supplemented Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, if
the Company shall have furnished any amendment or supplement thereto, shall not
inure to the benefit of any Underwriter (or of any person controlling such
Underwriter) on account of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions
arising from the sale of the Senior Notes to any person if a copy of the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus, the Prospectus
or the Final Supplemented Prospectus (exclusive of documents incorporated
therein by reference pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3), as the same may then be
amended or supplemented, shall not have been sent or given by or on behalf of
such Underwriter to such person with or prior to the written confirmation of the
sale involved and the untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission
or alleged omission was corrected in the Preliminary Prospectus, the Preliminary
Supplemented Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus as
supplemented or amended at the time of such confirmation. Each Underwriter
agrees, within ten days after the receipt by it of notice of the commencement of
any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought by it, or by any person
controlling it, from the Company on account of its agreement contained in this
Section 7, to notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof but the
omission of such Underwriter so to notify the Company of any such action shall
not release the Company from any liability which it may have to such Underwriter
or to such controlling person otherwise than on account of the indemnity
agreement contained in this Section 7. In case any such action shall be brought
against an Underwriter or any such person controlling such Underwriter and such
Underwriter shall notify the Company of the commencement thereof as above
provided, the Company shall be entitled to participate in (and, to the extent
that it shall wish, including the selection of counsel, to direct) the defense
thereof, at its own expense. In case the Company elects to direct such defense
and select such counsel, any Underwriter or controlling person shall have the
right to employ its own counsel, but, in any such case, the fees and expenses of
such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling
person unless the employment of such counsel has been authorized in writing by
the Company in connection with defending such action. No indemnifying party
shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the
settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which
indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is
an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement,
compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified
party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not
include any statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure
to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party. In no event shall any
indemnifying party have any liability or responsibility in respect of the
settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim effected without its prior
written consent.
(b) Each Underwriter agrees severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and such of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act to the same extent and upon the same terms as the indemnity agreement of the Company set forth in Section 7(a) hereof, but only with respect to alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Preliminary Supplemented Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, or such documents as amended or supplemented, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by, or any Underwriter through the Representative for use therein.
SECTION 8. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS TO SURVIVE DELIVERY.
All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement, or contained in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person, or by, or on behalf of the Company and shall survive delivery of the Senior Notes to the Underwriters.
(a) The Representative may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Date if (i) trading in securities on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been generally suspended or there shall have been a material disruption in settlement in securities generally, (ii) minimum or maximum ranges for prices shall have been generally established on the New York Stock Exchange by the Commission or by the New York Stock Exchange, (iii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities, or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of major hostilities in which the United States is involved, any declaration of war by the United States Congress or any other substantial national or international calamity, crisis or emergency (including, without limitation, acts of terrorism) affecting the United States, in any such case provided for in clauses (i) through (iv) with the result that, in the reasonable judgment of the Representative, the marketability of the Senior Notes shall have been materially impaired.
(b) If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Representative pursuant to subsection (a) above or because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, then in any such case, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for the reasonable fees and disbursements of Dewey Ballantine LLP and for the out of pocket expenses (in an amount not exceeding $10,000) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Senior Notes and, upon such reimbursement, the Company shall be absolved from any further liability hereunder, except as provided in Sections 4 and 7.
If an Underwriter shall fail on the Closing Date to purchase the Senior Notes that it is obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the "Defaulted Securities"), the Representative shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth. If, however, the Representative shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the Senior Notes, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b) if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the Senior Notes, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.
In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the Representative or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Final Supplemented Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.
SECTION 11. NOTICES. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriters shall be directed to the Representative at c/o Banc of America Securities LLC, Bank of America Corporate Center, 100 North Tryon Street, NC1-007-08-17, Charlotte, NC 28255, Attention: Transaction Management; notices to the Company shall be mailed to 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374, Attention: Corporate Secretary, with a copy to Southern Company Services, Inc., 270 Peachtree Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Attention: Earl C. Long.
SECTION 12. PARTIES. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Section 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Senior Notes from the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 13. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in said State. Except as otherwise set forth herein, specified times of day refer to New York City time.
SECTION 14. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
By: _________________
Name:
Title:
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written
BANC OF AMERICA SECURITIES LLC
By: ___________________________
Name:
Title:
As Representative of the other Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto
SCHEDULE I
NAME OF UNDERWRITER Principal Amount of Series O Senior Notes Banc of America Securities LLC $33,437,500 A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. $32,187,500 Incapital LLC $12,500,000 Prudential Securities Incorporated $32,187,500 Wachovia Securities, Inc. $32,187,500 Blaylock & Partners, L.P. $ 1,250,000 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. $ 1,250,000 Raymond James & Associates, Inc. $ 1,250,000 SunTrust Capital Markets, Inc. $ 1,250,000 The Williams Capital Group, L.P. $ 1,250,000 Wells Fargo Securities, LLC $ 1,250,000 ----------- TOTAL $150,000,000 =========== |
Schedule II
[Letterhead of TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP]
April 15, 2003
Banc of America Securities LLC
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Georgia Power Company (the "Company") in connection with (i) the Company's issuance and sale of $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033 (the "Notes") pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and as supplemented by the Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture"); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated April 10, 2003, among the Company and the Underwriters for whom you are acting as Representative (the "Underwriting Agreement"). This opinion is being delivered to you pursuant to Section 5(c)(1) of the Underwriting Agreement.
All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02) pertaining to the Notes and certain other securities (the "Registration Statement") filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the prospectus of the Company dated February 13, 2003 as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated April 10, 2003 (the "Final Supplemented Prospectus"), which pursuant to Form S-3 incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 (the "Form 10-K") and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated February 13, 2003, February 21, 2003 and April 10, 2003 (the "Exchange Act Documents"), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, other than those of the Company, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
The Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to collectively as the "Agreements".
Based on the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion, relying as to matters of New York law upon the opinion dated the date hereof rendered to you by Dewey Ballantine LLP, that:
1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia, and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged, to own and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
3. All orders, consents or other authorizations or approvals of the Georgia Public Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Georgia or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or "blue sky" laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations thereunder may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with your counsel. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, as of its effective date, and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of April 10, 2003, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, as of the date of filing of the Form 10-K (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series O Senior Notes -- Book-Entry Only Issuance -- The Depository Trust Company".
We are members of the State Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of Georgia and the federal law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the laws of the State of New York.
This opinion is rendered to you in connection with the above-described transaction. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent, except that Dewey Ballantine LLP may rely on this opinion in giving its opinion pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Underwriting Agreement insofar as such opinion relates to matters of Georgia law.
Yours very truly,
TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP
Schedule III
[Letterhead of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP]
April 15, 2003
Banc of America Securities LLC
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
Georgia Power Company
241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374
Georgia Power Company Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank) (the "Bank") in connection with (a) the Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 as heretofore supplemented (the "Original Indenture"), between Georgia Power Company (the "Company") and the Bank, as Trustee, and (b) the Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (together with the Original Indenture, herein called the "Indenture"), between the Company and the Bank, as Trustee.
In that connection, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purpose of this opinion, including copies of the Indenture and certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Bank.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
(i) the Bank has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a banking corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New York;
(ii) the Bank has the corporate trust power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its duties under the Indenture, has duly executed and delivered the Indenture, and, insofar as the laws governing the trust powers of the Bank are concerned and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Company, the Indenture constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Bank, enforceable against the Bank in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors' rights generally from time to time in effect and to general principles of equity (including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing), regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law;
(iii) the execution, delivery and performance by the Bank of the Indenture do not conflict with or constitute a breach of the charter or bylaws of the Bank; and
(iv) no approval, authorization or other action by, or filing with, any governmental authority of the United States of America or the State of New York having jurisdiction over the trust powers of the Bank is required in connection with the execution and delivery by the Bank of the Indenture or the performance by the Bank of its duties thereunder, except such as have been obtained, taken or made.
We are admitted to practice only in the State of New York, and we express no opinion as to matters governed by any laws other than the laws of the State of New York and the Federal law of the United States of America. We are furnishing this opinion to you solely for your benefit. This opinion is not to be relied upon by any other person or used, circulated, quoted or otherwise referred to for any other purpose.
Very truly yours,
CRAVATH, SWAINE & MOORE LLP
Schedule IV
[Letterhead of DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP]
April 15, 2003
Banc of America Securities LLC
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255
As Representative of the Several Underwriters
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Series O 5.90% Senior Notes
due April 15, 2033
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have represented you in connection with (i) the issuance by
Georgia Power Company (the "Company") of $150,000,000 of its Series O 5.90%
Senior Notes due April 15, 2033 (the "Notes") pursuant to a Senior Note
Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between the Company and JPMorgan
Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the
"Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the
Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the
"Indenture"); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Notes pursuant to
the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated April 10, 2003, among the Company
and the Underwriters for whom you are acting as Representative (the
"Underwriting Agreement"). This opinion is being delivered to you pursuant to
Section 5(c)(3) of the Underwriting Agreement.
All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02) pertaining to the Notes (the "Registration Statement"), filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the prospectus dated February 13, 2003, as supplemented by a final prospectus supplement relating to the Notes dated April 10, 2003 (the "Final Supplemented Prospectus"), which pursuant to Form S-3 incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 (the "Form 10-K") and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated February 13, 2003, February 21, 2003 and April 10, 2003 (the "Exchange Act Documents"), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
The Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to as the "Agreements".
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion, relying as aforesaid and as to all matters covered hereby which are governed by or dependent upon the law of the State of Georgia upon the opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP, dated the date hereof and addressed to you that:
1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged and to own and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
3. All orders, consents, or other authorizations or approvals of the Georgia Public Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Georgia or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or "blue sky" laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Indenture may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with counsel to the Company. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, as of its effective date, and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of April 10, 2003, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, as of the date of filing of the Form 10-K (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series O Senior Notes --Book-Entry Only Issuance --The Depository Trust Company".
We are members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States, and to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of Georgia.
This opinion is rendered solely to you in connection with the above matter. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent except that Troutman Sanders LLP may rely on this opinion in giving their opinions (i) pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Underwriting Agreement and to Sections 102, 302 and 904 of the Indenture and (ii) in connection with the Company's listing application with respect to the Notes to the New York Stock Exchange, Inc., insofar as such opinions relate to matters of New York law.
Very truly yours,
DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP
Exhibit 1.2
$100,000,000 Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
April 11, 2003
Banc One Capital Markets, Inc.
1 Bank One Plaza
Chicago, IL 60670
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Georgia Power Company, a Georgia corporation (the "Company"), confirms its agreement (the "Agreement") with you and the other Underwriter named in Schedule I hereto (collectively, the "Underwriters", which term shall also include any underwriter substituted as hereinafter provided in Section 10 hereof) for whom you are acting as representatives (in such capacity you shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Representatives"), with respect to the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriters, acting severally and not jointly, of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023 (the "Senior Notes") as set forth in Schedule I hereto.
The Company understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of the Senior Notes as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered. The Senior Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 (the "Base Indenture"), by and between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as to be further supplemented and amended by a fourteenth supplemental indenture, dated as of April 15, 2003, to the Base Indenture relating to the Senior Notes (the "Supplemental Indenture" and, together with the Base Indenture and any other amendments or supplements thereto, the "Indenture"), between the Company and the Trustee.
SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriters as follows:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (File Nos. 333-102839,
333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02), in respect of the Senior Notes and
certain other securities has been prepared and filed in accordance with the
provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), with
the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); such
registration statement, as amended, and any post-effective amendment
thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered or to be delivered to the
Underwriters, has been declared effective by the Commission in such form
(except that copies of the registration statement, as amended, and any
post-effective amendment delivered to the Underwriters need not include
exhibits but shall include all documents incorporated by reference
therein); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such
registration statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose
has been initiated or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened by
the Commission (any preliminary prospectus, as supplemented by a
preliminary prospectus supplement, included in such registration statement
or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and
regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act, being hereinafter called
a "Preliminary Prospectus"); such registration statement, as it became
effective, including the exhibits thereto and all documents incorporated by
reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 at the time such
registration statement became effective, being hereinafter called the
"Registration Statement"; the prospectus relating to the Senior Notes, in
the form in which it was included in the Registration Statement at the time
it became effective, being hereinafter called the "Prospectus"; any
reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be
deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference
therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, as of the date
of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any
reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or
the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed
after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case
may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934
Act"), and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or
Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the
Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual
report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934
Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is
incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and the Prospectus
as amended or supplemented in final form by a prospectus supplement
relating to the Senior Notes in the form in which it is filed with the
Commission, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act in accordance with
Section 3(e) hereof, including any documents incorporated by reference
therein as of the date of such filing, being hereinafter called the "Final
Supplemented Prospectus".
(b) The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and as of such time of filing, when read together with the Prospectus, none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and, when read together with the Prospectus as it otherwise may be amended or supplemented, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the Company makes no warranty or representation to the Underwriters with respect to: (A) any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriters expressly for use in the Final Supplemented Prospectus; or (B) any information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series N Senior Notes-- Book-Entry Only Issuance-- The Depository Trust Company".
(c) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus comply, and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, when any such post-effective amendments are declared effective or supplements are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will comply, in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1939 Act (hereinafter defined) and the General Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, (i) as of the applicable effective date as to the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and (ii) as of the applicable filing date as to the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any Prospectus as further amended or supplemented, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the case of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, and, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading in the case of the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any Prospectus as further amended or supplemented; except that the Company makes no warranties or representations with respect to: (A) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statements of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act"); (B) statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement or the Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriters expressly for use therein; or (C) any information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series N Senior Notes-- Book-Entry Only Issuance-- The Depository Trust Company".
(d) With respect to the Registration Statement, the conditions for use of Form S-3, as set forth in the General Instructions thereof, have been satisfied.
(e) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there has been no material adverse change in the business, properties or financial condition of the Company.
(f) The Company is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged and to own and operate the properties used by it in such business, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Indenture and to issue and sell the Senior Notes to the Underwriters.
(g) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(h) The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee, the Indenture will, on the Closing Date, constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally or (2) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) (the "Enforceability Exceptions"); the Indenture will conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Final Supplemented Prospectus; and, on the Closing Date, the Indenture will have been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.
(i) The issuance and delivery of the Senior Notes have been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date, the Senior Notes will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor as described in the Final Supplemented Prospectus, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions, will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture and will conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
(j) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Indenture and the Senior Notes and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and do not and will not result in any violation of the charter or bylaws of the Company, and do not and will not conflict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company under (A) any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of its properties may be subject (except for conflicts, breaches or defaults which would not, individually or in the aggregate, be materially adverse to the Company or materially adverse to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement), or (B) any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, or any regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, or any of its properties.
(k) No authorization, approval, consent or order of any court or governmental
authority or agency is necessary in connection with the issuance and sale
by the Company of the Senior Notes or the transactions by the Company
contemplated in this Agreement, except (A) such as may be required under
the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder; (B) such as may be
required under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended;
(C) the qualification of the Indenture under the 1939 Act; (D) the approval
of the Georgia Public Service Commission (the "Georgia Commission"); and
(E) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or
qualifications as may be required under state securities or "blue sky"
laws.
(l) The financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of and for the dates indicated; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis (except that the unaudited financial statements may be subject to normal year-end adjustments) throughout the periods involved and necessarily include amounts that are based on the best estimates and judgments of management. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Final Supplemented Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited and unaudited financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
(a) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to each Underwriter, and each Underwriter, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, the principal amount of Senior Notes set forth in Schedule I to this Agreement opposite the name of such Underwriter (plus any additional amount of Senior Notes that such Underwriter may become obligated to purchase pursuant to the provisions of Section 10 hereof), at a price equal to 99.101% of the principal amount thereof.
(b) Payment for the purchase price and delivery of certificates for the Senior Notes shall be made at the offices of Dewey Ballantine LLP, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019 at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on April 15, 2003 (unless postponed in accordance with the provisions of Section 10) or such other time, place or date as shall be agreed upon by Representatives and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the "Closing Date"). Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer in federal funds at the Closing Date against delivery of the Senior Notes to the Representatives. It is understood that each Underwriter has authorized the Representatives, for each Underwriter's account, to accept delivery of, receipt for, and make payment of the principal amount of the Senior Notes which each Underwriter has agreed to purchase. The Representatives, individually and not as a representative of the Underwriters, may (but shall not be obligated to) make payment of the principal amount of the Senior Notes to be purchased by any Underwriter whose payment has not been received by the Closing Date, but such payment shall not relieve such Underwriter from its obligations hereunder.
The delivery of the Senior Notes shall be made in fully registered form, registered in the name of CEDE & CO., to the offices of The Depository Trust Company in New York, New York or its designee, and the Underwriters shall accept such delivery.
The certificate(s) for the Senior Notes will be made available for examination by the Representatives not later than 12:00 Noon, New York time, on the last business day prior to the Closing Date.
SECTION 3. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company covenants with the Underwriters as follows:
(a) The Company, on or prior to the Closing Date, will deliver to the Underwriters conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of all amendments thereto, heretofore or hereafter made, including any post-effective amendment (in each case including all exhibits filed therewith, and including unsigned copies of each consent and certificate included therein or filed as an exhibit thereto, except exhibits incorporated by reference, unless specifically requested). As soon as the Company is advised thereof, it will advise the Representatives orally of the issuance of any stop order under the 1933 Act with respect to the Registration Statement, or the institution of any proceedings therefor, of which the Company shall have received notice, and will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and to secure the prompt removal thereof, if issued. The Company will deliver to the Representatives sufficient conformed copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and of all supplements and amendments thereto (in each case without exhibits) for distribution to the Underwriters and, from time to time, as many copies of the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus as the Underwriters may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act.
(b) The Company will furnish the Underwriters with copies of each amendment and supplement to the Final Supplemented Prospectus relating to the offering of the Senior Notes in such quantities as the Underwriters may from time to time reasonably request. If, during the period (not exceeding nine months) when the delivery of a prospectus shall be required by law in connection with the sale of any Senior Notes by an Underwriter, any event relating to or affecting the Company, or of which the Company shall be advised in writing by the Underwriters, shall occur, which in the opinion of the Company or of Underwriters' counsel should be set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Final Supplemented Prospectus in order to make the Final Supplemented Prospectus not misleading in the light of the circumstances when it is delivered, or if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such period to amend or supplement the Final Supplemented Prospectus or to file under the 1934 Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, the Company forthwith will (i) notify the Underwriters to suspend solicitation of purchases of the Senior Notes and (ii) at its expense, make any such filing or prepare and furnish to the Underwriters a reasonable number of copies of a supplement or supplements or an amendment or amendments to the Final Supplemented Prospectus which will supplement or amend the Final Supplemented Prospectus so that, as supplemented or amended, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Final Supplemented Prospectus is delivered, not misleading or which will effect any other necessary compliance. In case any Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus in connection with the sale of any Senior Notes after the expiration of the period specified in the preceding sentence, the Company, upon the request of such Underwriter, will furnish to such Underwriter, at the expense of such Underwriter, a reasonable quantity of a supplemented or amended prospectus, or supplements or amendments to the Final Supplemented Prospectus, complying with Section 10(a) of the 1933 Act. During the period specified in the second sentence of this subsection, the Company will continue to prepare and file with the Commission on a timely basis all documents or amendments required under the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; provided, that the Company shall not file such documents or amendments without also furnishing copies thereof prior to such filing to the Representatives and Dewey Ballantine LLP.
(c) The Company will endeavor, in cooperation with the Underwriters, to qualify the Senior Notes for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and the other jurisdictions of the United States as the Representatives may designate; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to file a consent to service of process or to file annual reports or to comply with any other requirements in connection with such qualification deemed by the Company to be unduly burdensome.
(d) The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable but not later than 45 days after the close of the period covered thereby, an earnings statement of the Company (in form complying with the provisions of Rule 158 of the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the Company's fiscal quarter next following the "effective date" (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
(e) As soon as practicable after the date of this Agreement, and in any event within the time prescribed by Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, to file the Final Supplemented Prospectus with the Commission and to advise the Representatives of such filing and to confirm such advice in writing.
(f) During a period of 15 days from the date of this Agreement, the Company will not, without the Representatives' prior written consent, directly or indirectly, sell, offer to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, any Senior Notes or any security convertible into or exchangeable into or exercisable for the Senior Notes or any debt securities substantially similar to the Senior Notes (except for the Senior Notes issued pursuant to this Agreement, the Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033 and the Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005). The Representatives agree that commercial paper or other debt securities with scheduled maturities of less than one year are not subject to this Section 3(f).
SECTION 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company will pay all expenses incidental to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to, the expenses of (i) the printing and filing of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificate(s) for the Senior Notes, (iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel and accountants, (iv) the qualification of the Senior Notes under securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(c) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection therewith and in connection with the preparation of any blue sky survey (such fees and disbursements of counsel shall not exceed $3,500), (v) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto and of the Prospectus, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of any blue sky survey, (vii) the fee of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. in connection with its review of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, if applicable, (viii) the fees and expenses of the Trustee, including the fees and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee in connection with the Indenture and the Senior Notes, (ix) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Senior Notes, (x) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar and (xi) the cost of qualifying the Senior Notes with The Depository Trust Company.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 9 hereof, the Underwriters shall pay all other expenses incurred by them in connection with their offering of the Senior Notes, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, Dewey Ballantine LLP.
SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITERS' OBLIGATIONS. The obligations of the Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Senior Notes are subject to the following conditions:
(a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect on the Closing Date and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending before, or to the knowledge of the Company threatened by, the Commission on such date. If filing of the Final Supplemented Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, is required pursuant to Rule 424, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any such supplement, shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424.
(b) Any required orders of the Georgia Commission and the Commission permitting the transactions contemplated hereby substantially in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof shall be in full force and effect and shall contain no provision unacceptable to the Underwriters or the Company (but all provisions of such order or orders heretofore entered, copies of which have heretofore been delivered to the Representatives, are deemed acceptable to the Underwriters and the Company and all provisions of such order or orders hereafter entered shall be deemed acceptable to the Underwriters and the Company unless within 24 hours after receiving a copy of any such order any party to this Agreement shall give notice to the other parties to the effect that such order contains an unacceptable provision).
(c) On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received:
(1) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Troutman Sanders LLP, counsel for the Company, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule II.
(2) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, counsel to the Trustee, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule III.
(3) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule IV.
(4) At the Closing Date, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, any material adverse change in the business, properties or financial condition of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Representatives shall have received a certificate of the President or any Vice President of the Company, and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1 hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied on or prior to the Closing Date, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been initiated or, to the knowledge of such Officer, threatened by the Commission.
(5) On the Closing Date, the Representatives shall have received from Deloitte &
Touche LLP a letter dated the Closing Date to the effect that: (A) they are
independent public accountants with respect to the Company within the meaning of
the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act; (B) in their
opinion, the financial statements audited by them and incorporated by reference
in the Final Supplemented Prospectus comply as to form in all material respects
with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and
regulations under the 1934 Act; and (C) on the basis of certain limited
procedures performed through a specified date not more than five business days
prior to the date of such letter, namely (i) reading the minute books of the
Company; (ii) performing the procedures specified by the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants for a review of interim financial information as
described in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 71, "Interim Financial
Information", on the unaudited financial statements, if any, of the Company
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus and of the latest available
unaudited financial statements of the Company, if any, for any calendar quarter
subsequent to the date of those incorporated by reference in the Prospectus; and
(iii) making inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have
responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding such unaudited
financial statements or any specified unaudited amounts derived therefrom (it
being understood that the foregoing procedures do not constitute an audit
performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and they
would not necessarily reveal matters of significance with respect to the
comments made in such letter, and accordingly that Deloitte & Touche LLP make no
representations as to the sufficiency of such procedures for the Underwriters'
purposes), nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that: (1)
any material modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed financial
statements, if any, incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, for them to be
in conformity with GAAP; (2) such unaudited condensed financial statements do
not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting
requirements of the 1934 Act as it applies to Form 10-Q and the related
published rules and regulations thereunder; (3) the unaudited amounts for
Operating Revenues, Earnings Before Income Taxes and Net Income After Dividends
on Preferred Stock and the unaudited Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and
Earnings to Fixed Charges Plus Preferred Dividend Requirements (Pre-Income Tax
Basis) set forth in the Prospectus do not agree with the amounts set forth in or
derived from the unaudited financial statements for the same period (4) as of a
specified date not more than five business days prior to the date of delivery of
such letter, there has been any change in the capital stock or long-term debt of
the Company or any decrease in net assets as compared with amounts shown in the
latest audited balance sheet incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except
in each case for changes or decreases which (i) the Prospectus discloses have
occurred or may occur, (ii) are occasioned by the declaration of dividends,
(iii) are occasioned by draw-downs and regularly scheduled payments of
capitalized lease obligations, (iv) are occasioned by the purchase or redemption
of bonds or stock to satisfy mandatory or optional redemption provisions
relating thereto, (v) are occasioned by reclassification of current maturities
of long-term debt or (vi) are disclosed in such letter; and (5) the unaudited
amounts for Operating Revenues, Earnings Before Income Taxes and Net Income
After Dividends on Preferred Stock and the unaudited Ratios of Earnings to Fixed
Charges and Earnings to Fixed Charges Plus Preferred Dividend Requirements
(Pre-Income Tax Basis) for any calendar quarter subsequent to those set forth in
(3) above, which, if available, shall be set forth in such letter, do not agree
with the amounts set forth in or derived from the unaudited financial statements
for the same period or were not determined on a basis substantially consistent
with that of the corresponding audited amounts or ratios included or
incorporated by reference in the Prospectus.
(6) On the Closing Date, counsel for the Underwriters shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as it may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated and related proceedings, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Representatives and Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriters.
(7) That no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Final Supplemented Prospectus filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement (including any filing made by the Company pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act) shall be unsatisfactory in form to Dewey Ballantine LLP or shall contain information (other than with respect to an amendment or supplement relating solely to the activity of the Underwriters) which, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, shall materially impair the marketability of the Senior Notes.
(8) The Company shall have performed its obligations when and as provided under this Agreement.
If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Representatives by notice to the Company at any time prior to the Closing Date, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Sections 4, 7 and 9(b) hereof.
The obligations of the Company shall be subject to the conditions set forth in the first sentence of Section 5(a) and in Section 5(b). In case such conditions shall not have been fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company by mailing or delivering written notice thereof to the Representatives. Any such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as otherwise provided in Sections 4, 7 and 9(b) hereof.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each of
the Underwriters and each person, if any, who controls any such Underwriter
within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934
Act, against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or
several, to which they or any of them may become subject under the 1933 Act,
1934 Act or otherwise, and to reimburse any such Underwriter and such
controlling person or persons, if any, for any legal or other expenses incurred
by them in connection with defending any actions, insofar as such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or actions arise out of or are based upon any
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any
Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Final
Supplemented Prospectus or, if the Company shall furnish to the Underwriters any
amendments or any supplements thereto, or shall make any filings pursuant to
Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act which are incorporated by reference therein, in
any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the
Final Supplemented Prospectus as so amended or supplemented, or arise out of or
are based upon any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact
required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not
misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or
actions arise out of or are based upon any such untrue statement or alleged
untrue statement or omission or alleged omission which was made in such
Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus, Prospectus or Final Supplemented
Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in
writing to the Company by, or through the Representatives on behalf of, any
Underwriter for use therein and except that this indemnity with respect to the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, if
the Company shall have furnished any amendment or supplement thereto, shall not
inure to the benefit of any Underwriter (or of any person controlling such
Underwriter) on account of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions
arising from the sale of the Senior Notes to any person if a copy of the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus
(exclusive of documents incorporated therein by reference pursuant to Item 12 of
Form S-3), as the same may then be amended or supplemented, shall not have been
sent or given by or on behalf of such Underwriter to such person with or prior
to the written confirmation of the sale involved and the untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was corrected in the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus as
supplemented or amended at the time of such confirmation. Each Underwriter
agrees, within ten days after the receipt by it of notice of the commencement of
any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought by it, or by any person
controlling it, from the Company on account of its agreement contained in this
Section 7, to notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof but the
omission of such Underwriter so to notify the Company of any such action shall
not release the Company from any liability which it may have to such Underwriter
or to such controlling person otherwise than on account of the indemnity
agreement contained in this Section 7. In case any such action shall be brought
against an Underwriter or any such person controlling such Underwriter and such
Underwriter shall notify the Company of the commencement thereof as above
provided, the Company shall be entitled to participate in (and, to the extent
that it shall wish, including the selection of counsel, to direct) the defense
thereof, at its own expense. In case the Company elects to direct such defense
and select such counsel, any Underwriter or controlling person shall have the
right to employ its own counsel, but, in any such case, the fees and expenses of
such counsel shall be at the expense of such Underwriter or such controlling
person unless the employment of such counsel has been authorized in writing by
the Company in connection with defending such action. No indemnifying party
shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the
settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which
indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is
an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement,
compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified
party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not
include any statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure
to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party. In no event shall any
indemnifying party have any liability or responsibility in respect of the
settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim effected without its prior
written consent.
(b) Each Underwriter agrees severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and such of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act to the same extent and upon the same terms as the indemnity agreement of the Company set forth in Section 7(a) hereof, but only with respect to alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, or such documents as amended or supplemented, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by, or through the Representatives on behalf of, such Underwriter for use therein.
SECTION 8. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS TO SURVIVE DELIVERY.
All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement, or contained in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or controlling person, or by, or on behalf of the Company and shall survive delivery of the Senior Notes to the Underwriters.
(a) The Representatives may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Date if (i) trading in securities on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been generally suspended or there shall have been a material disruption in settlement in securities generally, (ii) minimum or maximum ranges for prices shall have been generally established on the New York Stock Exchange by the Commission or by the New York Stock Exchange, (iii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities, or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of major hostilities in which the United States is involved, any declaration of war by the United States Congress or any other substantial national or international calamity, crisis or emergency (including, without limitation, acts of terrorism) affecting the United States, in any such case provided for in clauses (i) through (iv) with the result that, in the reasonable judgment of the Representatives, the marketability of the Senior Notes shall have been materially impaired.
(b) If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Representatives pursuant to subsection (a) above or because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, then in any such case, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for the reasonable fees and disbursements of Dewey Ballantine LLP and for the out of pocket expenses (in an amount not exceeding $10,000) reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Senior Notes and, upon such reimbursement, the Company shall be absolved from any further liability hereunder, except as provided in Sections 4 and 7.
If an Underwriter shall fail on the Closing Date to purchase the Senior Notes that it is obligated to purchase under this Agreement (the "Defaulted Securities"), the Representatives shall have the right, within 24 hours thereafter, to make arrangements for the non-defaulting Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all, of the Defaulted Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the terms herein set forth. If, however, the Representatives shall not have completed such arrangements within such 24-hour period, then:
(a) if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities does not exceed 10% of the Senior Notes, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated, severally and not jointly, to purchase the full amount thereof in the proportions that their respective underwriting obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting obligations of all non-defaulting Underwriters, or
(b) if the principal amount of Defaulted Securities exceeds 10% of the Senior Notes, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.
No action taken pursuant to this Section shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.
In the event of any such default which does not result in a termination of this Agreement, either the Representatives or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date for a period not exceeding seven days in order to effect any required changes in the Registration Statement or Final Supplemented Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements.
SECTION 11. NOTICES. All notices and other communications
hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if
mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the
Underwriters shall be directed to the Representatives at Goldman, Sachs & Co.,
85 Broad Street, New York, New York, 10004, Attention: Credit Capital Markets
and Banc One Capital Markets, Inc., 1 Bank One Plaza, Chicago, Illinois, 60670,
Attention: Structuring & Execution; notices to the Company shall be mailed to
241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374, Attention:
Corporate Secretary, with a copy to Southern Company Services, Inc., 270
Peachtree Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Attention: Earl C. Long.
SECTION 12. PARTIES. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriters, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Section 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Senior Notes from the Underwriters shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 13. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in said State. Except as otherwise set forth herein, specified times of day refer to New York City time.
SECTION 14. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
By: ______________________________
Title:
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written
BANC ONE CAPITAL MARKETS, INC.
By: ______________________________
Title:
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
By: ___________________________
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
Representatives of the other Underwriter named in Schedule I hereto
SCHEDULE I
NAME OF UNDERWRITER Principal Amount of Series N Senior Notes Banc One Capital Markets, Inc. $ 45,000,000 Goldman, Sachs & Co. $ 45,000,000 Blaylock & Partners, L.P. $ 10,000,000 ----------- TOTAL $100,000,000 =========== |
Schedule II
[Letterhead of TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP]
April 15, 2003
Banc One Capital Markets, Inc.
1 Bank One Plaza
Chicago, IL 60670
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Georgia Power Company (the "Company") in connection with (i) the Company's issuance and sale of $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023 (the "Notes") pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and as supplemented by the Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture"); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated April 11, 2003, among the Company and the Underwriters for whom you are acting as Representatives (the "Underwriting Agreement"). This opinion is being delivered to you as Representatives pursuant to Section 5(c)(1) of the Underwriting Agreement.
All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02) pertaining to the Notes and certain other securities (the "Registration Statement") filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the prospectus of the Company dated February 13, 2003, as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated April 11, 2003 (the "Final Supplemented Prospectus"), which pursuant to Form S-3 incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 (the "Form 10-K") and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated February 13, 2003, February 21, 2003 and April 10, 2003 (the "Exchange Act Documents"), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, other than those of the Company, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
The Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to collectively as the "Agreements".
Based on the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion, relying as to matters of New York law upon the opinion dated the date hereof rendered to you by Dewey Ballantine LLP, that:
1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia, and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged, to own and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
3. All orders, consents or other authorizations or approvals of the Georgia Public Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Georgia or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or "blue sky" laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations thereunder may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with your counsel. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, as of its effective date, and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of April 11, 2003, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, as of the date of filing of the Form 10-K (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series N Senior Notes -- Book-Entry Only Issuance -- The Depository Trust Company".
We are members of the State Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of Georgia and the federal law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the laws of the State of New York.
This opinion is rendered to you in connection with the above-described transaction. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent, except that Dewey Ballantine LLP may rely on this opinion in giving its opinion pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Underwriting Agreement insofar as such opinion relates to matters of Georgia law.
Yours very truly,
TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP
Schedule III
[Letterhead of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP]
April 15, 2003
Banc One Capital Markets, Inc.
1 Bank One Plaza
Chicago, IL 60670
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
Georgia Power Company
241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374
Georgia Power Company Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank) (the "Bank") in connection with (a) the Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 as heretofore supplemented (the "Original Indenture"), between Georgia Power Company (the "Company") and the Bank, as Trustee, and (b) the Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (together with the Original Indenture, herein called the "Indenture"), between the Company and the Bank, as Trustee.
In that connection, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purpose of this opinion, including copies of the Indenture and certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Bank.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
(i) the Bank has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a banking corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New York;
(ii) the Bank has the corporate trust power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its duties under the Indenture, has duly executed and delivered the Indenture, and, insofar as the laws governing the trust powers of the Bank are concerned and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Company, the Indenture constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Bank, enforceable against the Bank in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors' rights generally from time to time in effect and to general principles of equity (including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing), regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law;
(iii) the execution, delivery and performance by the Bank of the Indenture do not conflict with or constitute a breach of the charter or bylaws of the Bank; and
(iv) no approval, authorization or other action by, or filing with, any governmental authority of the United States of America or the State of New York having jurisdiction over the trust powers of the Bank is required in connection with the execution and delivery by the Bank of the Indenture or the performance by the Bank of its duties thereunder, except such as have been obtained, taken or made.
We are admitted to practice only in the State of New York, and we express no opinion as to matters governed by any laws other than the laws of the State of New York and the Federal law of the United States of America. We are furnishing this opinion to you solely for your benefit. This opinion is not to be relied upon by any other person or used, circulated, quoted or otherwise referred to for any other purpose.
Very truly yours,
CRAVATH, SWAINE & MOORE LLP
Schedule IV
[Letterhead of DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP]
April 15, 2003
Banc One Capital Markets, Inc.
1 Bank One Plaza
Chicago, IL 60670
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
As Representatives of the Several Underwriters
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Series N 5.750% Senior Notes
due April 15, 2023
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have represented you in connection with (i) the issuance by
Georgia Power Company (the "Company") of $100,000,000 of its Series N 5.750%
Senior Notes due April 15, 2023 (the "Notes") pursuant to a Senior Note
Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between the Company and JPMorgan
Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the
"Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the
Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the
"Indenture"); and (ii) the purchase by the Underwriters of the Notes pursuant to
the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated April 11, 2003, among the Company
and the Underwriters for whom you are acting as Representatives (the
"Underwriting Agreement"). This opinion is being delivered to you pursuant to
Section 5(c)(3) of the Underwriting Agreement.
All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02) pertaining to the Notes (the "Registration Statement"), filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the prospectus dated February 13. 2003, as supplemented by a final prospectus supplement relating to the Notes dated April 11, 2003, which pursuant to Form S-3 incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 (the "Form 10-K") and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated February 13, 2003, February 21, 2003 and April 10, 2003 (the "Exchange Act Documents"), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
The Indenture and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to as the "Agreements".
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion, relying as aforesaid and as to all matters covered hereby which are governed by or dependent upon the law of the State of Georgia upon the opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP, dated the date hereof and addressed to you that:
1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged and to own and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
3. All orders, consents, or other authorizations or approvals of the Georgia Public Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Georgia or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or "blue sky" laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Indenture may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with counsel to the Company. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, as of its effective date, and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of April 11, 2003, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, as of the date of filing of the Form 10-K (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series N Senior Notes --Book-Entry Only Issuance --The Depository Trust Company".
We are members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States, and to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of Georgia.
This opinion is rendered solely to you in connection with the above matter. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent except that Troutman Sanders LLP may rely on this opinion in giving their opinions pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Underwriting Agreement and to Sections 102, 302 and 904 of the Indenture insofar as such opinions relate to matters of New York law.
Very truly yours,
DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP
Exhibit 1.3
$50,000,000 Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes
due April 15, 2005
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
April 11, 2003
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, New York 10004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Georgia Power Company, a Georgia corporation (the "Company"), confirms its agreement (the "Agreement") with you (the "Underwriter") with respect to the sale by the Company and the purchase by the Underwriter of $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005 (the "Senior Notes").
The Company understands that the Underwriter proposes to make a public offering of the Senior Notes as soon as the Underwriter deems advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered. The Senior Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 (the "Base Indenture"), by and between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as to be further supplemented and amended by a sixteenth supplemental indenture, dated as of April 15, 2003, to the Base Indenture relating to the Senior Notes (the "Supplemental Indenture" and, together with the Base Indenture and any other amendments or supplements thereto, the "Indenture"), between the Company and the Trustee.
Pursuant to a Calculation Agent Agreement, dated as of February 15, 2003 (the "Calculation Agent Agreement"), between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank, as calculation agent thereunder (the "Calculation Agent"), the Company has engaged the Calculation Agent to perform certain services with respect to the floating interest rate on the Senior Notes.
SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES. The Company represents and warrants to the Underwriter as follows:
(a) A registration statement on Form S-3, as amended (File Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02), in respect of the Senior Notes and certain other securities has been prepared and filed in accordance with the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission"); such registration statement, as amended, and any post-effective amendment thereto, each in the form heretofore delivered or to be delivered to the Underwriter, has been declared effective by the Commission in such form (except that copies of the registration statement, as amended, and any post-effective amendment delivered to the Underwriter need not include exhibits but shall include all documents incorporated by reference therein); and no stop order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has been issued and no proceeding for that purpose has been initiated or, to the best knowledge of the Company, threatened by the Commission (any preliminary prospectus, as supplemented by a preliminary prospectus supplement, included in such registration statement or filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(a) of the rules and regulations of the Commission under the 1933 Act, being hereinafter called a "Preliminary Prospectus"); such registration statement, as it became effective, including the exhibits thereto and all documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 at the time such registration statement became effective, being hereinafter called the "Registration Statement"; the prospectus relating to the Senior Notes, in the form in which it was included in the Registration Statement at the time it became effective, being hereinafter called the "Prospectus"; any reference herein to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include the documents incorporated by reference therein pursuant to Item 12 of Form S-3 under the 1933 Act, as of the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment or supplement to any Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus shall be deemed to refer to and include any documents filed after the date of such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be, under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), and incorporated by reference in such Preliminary Prospectus or Prospectus, as the case may be; any reference to any amendment to the Registration Statement shall be deemed to refer to and include any annual report of the Company filed pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act after the effective date of the Registration Statement that is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement; and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented in final form by a prospectus supplement relating to the Senior Notes in the form in which it is filed with the Commission, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the 1933 Act in accordance with Section 3(e) hereof, including any documents incorporated by reference therein as of the date of such filing, being hereinafter called the "Final Supplemented Prospectus".
(b) The documents incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement or Prospectus, when they were filed with the Commission, complied in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and as of such time of filing, when read together with the Prospectus, none of such documents contained an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; and any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference in the Prospectus or any further amendment or supplement thereto, when such documents are filed with the Commission, will comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and, when read together with the Prospectus as it otherwise may be amended or supplemented, will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that the Company makes no warranty or representation to the Underwriter with respect to: (A) any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use in the Final Supplemented Prospectus; or (B) any information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series P Senior Notes -- Book-Entry Only Issuance -- The Depository Trust Company".
(c) The Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus comply, and any further amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or the Prospectus, when any such post-effective amendments are declared effective or supplements are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will comply, in all material respects with the applicable provisions of the 1933 Act, the 1934 Act, the 1939 Act (hereinafter defined) and the General Rules and Regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, (i) as of the applicable effective date as to the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and (ii) as of the applicable filing date as to the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any Prospectus as further amended or supplemented, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading in the case of the Registration Statement and any amendment thereto, and, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading in the case of the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any Prospectus as further amended or supplemented; except that the Company makes no warranties or representations with respect to: (A) that part of the Registration Statement which shall constitute the Statements of Eligibility (Form T-1) under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "1939 Act"); (B) statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement or the Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter expressly for use therein; or (C) any information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series P Senior Notes -- Book-Entry Only Issuance -- The Depository Trust Company".
(d) With respect to the Registration Statement, the conditions for use of Form S-3, as set forth in the General Instructions thereof, have been satisfied.
(e) Since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, except as otherwise stated therein, there has been no material adverse change in the business, properties or financial condition of the Company.
(f) The Company is a corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged and to own and operate the properties used by it in such business, to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement and the Indenture and to issue and sell the Senior Notes to the Underwriter.
(g) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.
(h) The Indenture has been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Indenture by the Trustee, the Indenture will, on the Closing Date, constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by (1) bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance, moratorium or other similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally or (2) general principles of equity (regardless of whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity) (the "Enforceability Exceptions"); the Indenture will conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto contained in the Final Supplemented Prospectus; and, on the Closing Date, the Indenture will have been duly qualified under the 1939 Act.
(i) The issuance and delivery of the Senior Notes have been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date, the Senior Notes will have been duly executed by the Company and, when authenticated in the manner provided for in the Indenture and delivered against payment therefor as described in the Final Supplemented Prospectus, will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions, will be in the form contemplated by, and entitled to the benefits of, the Indenture and will conform in all material respects to all statements relating thereto in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
(j) The Calculation Agent Agreement has been duly authorized by the Company and, on the Closing Date, will have been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and, assuming due authorization, execution and delivery of the Calculation Agent Agreement by the Calculation Agent, the Calculation Agent Agreement will, on the Closing Date, constitute a valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms except to the extent that enforcement thereof may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions.
(k) The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, the Calculation Agent Agreement, the Indenture and the Senior Notes and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated herein and therein and compliance by the Company with its obligations hereunder and thereunder shall have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of the Company and do not and will not result in any violation of the charter or bylaws of the Company, and do not and will not conflict with, or result in a breach of any of the terms or provisions of, or constitute a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company under (A) any contract, indenture, mortgage, loan agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which the Company is a party or by which it may be bound or to which any of its properties may be subject (except for conflicts, breaches or defaults which would not, individually or in the aggregate, be materially adverse to the Company or materially adverse to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement), or (B) any existing applicable law, rule, regulation, judgment, order or decree of any government, governmental instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign, or any regulatory body or administrative agency or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, or any of its properties.
(l) No authorization, approval, consent or order of any court or governmental authority or agency is necessary in connection with the issuance and sale by the Company of the Senior Notes or the transactions by the Company contemplated in this Agreement, except (A) such as may be required under the 1933 Act or the rules and regulations thereunder; (B) such as may be required under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, as amended; (C) the qualification of the Indenture under the 1939 Act; (D) the approval of the Georgia Public Service Commission (the "Georgia Commission"); and (E) such consents, approvals, authorizations, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities or "blue sky" laws.
(m) The financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, together with the related schedules and notes, present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of and for the dates indicated; said financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") applied on a consistent basis (except that the unaudited financial statements may be subject to normal year-end adjustments) throughout the periods involved and necessarily include amounts that are based on the best estimates and judgments of management. The selected financial data and the summary financial information included in the Final Supplemented Prospectus present fairly the information shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent with that of the audited and unaudited financial statements incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement.
(a) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained and subject to the terms and conditions herein set forth, the Company agrees to sell to the Underwriter and the Underwriter agrees to purchase from the Company, $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Senior Notes at a price equal to 100.00% of the principal amount thereof.
(b) Payment of the purchase price for and delivery of certificates for the Senior Notes shall be made at the offices of Dewey Ballantine LLP, 1301 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019 at 10:00 A.M., New York time, on April 15, 2003 or such other time, place or date as shall be agreed upon by the Underwriter and the Company (such time and date of payment and delivery being herein called the "Closing Date"). Payment shall be made to the Company by wire transfer in federal funds at the Closing Date against delivery to the Underwriter of certificates for the Senior Notes to be purchased by it.
The delivery of the Senior Notes shall be made in fully registered form, registered in the name of CEDE & CO., to the offices of The Depository Trust Company in New York, New York or its designee, and the Underwriter shall accept such delivery.
The certificate(s) for the Senior Notes will be made available for examination by the Underwriter not later than 12:00 Noon, New York time, on the last business day prior to the Closing Date.
SECTION 3. COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY. The Company covenants with the Underwriter as follows:
(a) The Company, on or prior to the Closing Date, will deliver to the Underwriter conformed copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed and of all amendments thereto, heretofore or hereafter made, including any post-effective amendment (in each case including all exhibits filed therewith, and including unsigned copies of each consent and certificate included therein or filed as an exhibit thereto, except exhibits incorporated by reference, unless specifically requested). As soon as the Company is advised thereof, it will advise the Underwriter orally of the issuance of any stop order under the 1933 Act with respect to the Registration Statement, or the institution of any proceedings therefor, of which the Company shall have received notice, and will use its best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order and to secure the prompt removal thereof, if issued. The Company will deliver to the Underwriter sufficient conformed copies of the Registration Statement, the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and of all supplements and amendments thereto (in each case without exhibits) and, from time to time, as many copies of the Prospectus and the Final Supplemented Prospectus as the Underwriter may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act.
(b) The Company will furnish the Underwriter with copies of each amendment and
supplement to the Final Supplemented Prospectus relating to the offering of the
Senior Notes in such quantities as the Underwriter may from time to time
reasonably request. If, during the period (not exceeding nine months) when the
delivery of a prospectus shall be required by law in connection with the sale of
any Senior Notes by an Underwriter, any event relating to or affecting the
Company, or of which the Company shall be advised in writing by the Underwriter,
shall occur, which in the opinion of the Company or of Underwriter's counsel
should be set forth in a supplement to or an amendment of the Final Supplemented
Prospectus, as the case may be, in order to make the Final Supplemented
Prospectus not misleading in the light of the circumstances when it is
delivered, or if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such period
to amend or supplement the Final Supplemented Prospectus or to file under the
1934 Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to
comply with the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, the Company forthwith will (i) notify
the Underwriter to suspend solicitation of purchases of the Senior Notes and
(ii) at its expense, make any such filing or prepare and furnish to the
Underwriter a reasonable number of copies of a supplement or supplements or an
amendment or amendments to the Final Supplemented Prospectus which will
supplement or amend the Final Supplemented Prospectus so that, as supplemented
or amended, it will not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit
to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in
the light of the circumstances when the Final Supplemented Prospectus is
delivered, not misleading or which will effect any other necessary compliance.
In case the Underwriter is required to deliver a prospectus in connection with
the sale of any Senior Notes after the expiration of the period specified in the
preceding sentence, the Company, upon the request of the Underwriter, will
furnish to the Underwriter, at the expense of the Underwriter, a reasonable
quantity of a supplemented or amended prospectus, or supplements or amendments
to the Final Supplemented Prospectus, complying with Section 10(a) of the 1933
Act. During the period specified in the second sentence of this subsection, the
Company will continue to prepare and file with the Commission on a timely basis
all documents or amendments required under the 1934 Act and the rules and
regulations thereunder; provided, that the Company shall not file such documents
or amendments without also furnishing copies thereof prior to such filing to the
Underwriter and Dewey Ballantine LLP.
(c) The Company will endeavor, in cooperation with the Underwriter, to qualify the Senior Notes for offering and sale under the applicable securities laws of such states and the other jurisdictions of the United States as the Underwriter may designate; provided, however, that the Company shall not be obligated to qualify as a foreign corporation in any jurisdiction in which it is not so qualified or to file a consent to service of process or to file annual reports or to comply with any other requirements in connection with such qualification deemed by the Company to be unduly burdensome.
(d) The Company will make generally available to its security holders as soon as practicable but not later than 45 days after the close of the period covered thereby, an earnings statement of the Company (in form complying with the provisions of Rule 158 of the rules and regulations under the 1933 Act) covering a twelve-month period beginning not later than the first day of the Company's fiscal quarter next following the "effective date" (as defined in Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.
(e) As soon as practicable after the date of this Agreement, and in any event within the time prescribed by Rule 424 under the 1933 Act, to file the Final Supplemented Prospectus with the Commission and to advise the Underwriter of such filing and to confirm such advice in writing.
(f) During a period of 15 days from the date of this Agreement, the Company will not, without the Underwriter's prior written consent, directly or indirectly, sell, offer to sell, grant any option for the sale of, or otherwise dispose of, any Senior Notes or any security convertible into or exchangeable into or exercisable for the Senior Notes or any debt securities substantially similar to the Senior Notes (except for the Senior Notes issued pursuant to this Agreement, the Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023 and the Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033). The Underwriter agrees that commercial paper or other debt securities with scheduled maturities of less than one year are not subject to this Section 3(f).
SECTION 4. PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company will pay all expenses incidental to
the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including but not
limited to, the expenses of (i) the printing and filing of the Registration
Statement as originally filed and of each amendment thereto, (ii) the
preparation, issuance and delivery of the certificate(s) for the Senior Notes,
(iii) the fees and disbursements of the Company's counsel and accountants, (iv)
the qualification of the Senior Notes under securities laws in accordance with
the provisions of Section 3(c) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable
fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriter in connection therewith
and in connection with the preparation of any blue sky survey (such fees and
disbursements of counsel shall not exceed $3,500), (v) the printing and delivery
to the Underwriter of copies of the Registration Statement as originally filed
and of each amendment thereto and of the Prospectus, the Final Supplemented
Prospectus and any amendments or supplements thereto, (vi) the printing and
delivery to the Underwriter of copies of any blue sky survey, (vii) the fee of
the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. in connection with its
review of the offering contemplated by this Agreement, if applicable, (viii) the
fees and expenses of the Trustee and the Calculation Agent, including the fees
and disbursements of counsel for the Trustee and the Calculation Agent in
connection with the Calculation Agent Agreement, the Indenture and the Senior
Notes, (ix) any fees payable in connection with the rating of the Senior Notes,
(x) the cost and charges of any transfer agent or registrar and (xi) the cost of
qualifying the Senior Notes with The Depository Trust Company.
Except as otherwise provided in Section 9 hereof, the Underwriter shall pay all the expenses incurred by them in connection with their offering of the Senior Notes, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, Dewey Ballantine LLP.
SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITER'S OBLIGATIONS. The obligations of the Underwriter to purchase and pay for the Senior Notes are subject to the following conditions:
(a) No stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall be in effect on the Closing Date and no proceedings for that purpose shall be pending before, or to the knowledge of the Company threatened by, the Commission on such date. If filing of the Final Supplemented Prospectus, or any supplement thereto, is required pursuant to Rule 424, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and any such supplement, shall have been filed in the manner and within the time period required by Rule 424.
(b) Any required orders of the Georgia Commission and the Commission permitting the transactions contemplated hereby substantially in accordance with the terms and conditions hereof shall be in full force and effect and shall contain no provision unacceptable to the Underwriter or the Company (but all provisions of such order or orders heretofore entered, copies of which have heretofore been delivered to the Underwriter, are deemed acceptable to the Underwriter and the Company and all provisions of such order or orders hereafter entered shall be deemed acceptable to the Underwriter and the Company unless within 24 hours after receiving a copy of any such order any party to this Agreement shall give notice to the other parties to the effect that such order contains an unacceptable provision).
(c) On the Closing Date, the Underwriter shall have received:
(1) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Troutman Sanders LLP, counsel for the Company, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule I.
(2) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, counsel to the Trustee and the Calculation Agent, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule II.
(3) The opinion, dated the Closing Date, of Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriter, substantially in the form attached hereto as Schedule III.
(4) At the Closing Date, there shall not have been, since the date hereof or since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, any material adverse change in the business, properties or financial condition of the Company, whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business, and the Underwriter shall have received a certificate of the President or any Vice President of the Company, and dated as of the Closing Date, to the effect that (i) there has been no such material adverse change, (ii) the representations and warranties in Section 1 hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as though expressly made at and as of the Closing Date, (iii) the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied on or prior to the Closing Date, and (iv) no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been initiated or, to the knowledge of such Officer, threatened by the Commission.
(5) On the Closing Date, the Underwriter shall have received from Deloitte
& Touche LLP a letter dated the Closing Date to the effect that: (A)
they are independent public accountants with respect to the Company
within the meaning of the 1933 Act and the rules and regulations under
the 1933 Act; (B) in their opinion, the financial statements audited by
them and incorporated by reference in the Final Supplemented Prospectus
comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
accounting requirements of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations
under the 1934 Act; and (C) on the basis of certain limited procedures
performed through a specified date not more than five business days
prior to the date of such letter, namely (i) reading the minute books
of the Company; (ii) performing the procedures specified by the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for a review of
interim financial information as described in Statement on Auditing
Standards No. 71, "Interim Financial Information", on the unaudited
financial statements, if any, of the Company incorporated by reference
in the Prospectus and of the latest available unaudited financial
statements of the Company, if any, for any calendar quarter subsequent
to the date of those incorporated by reference in the Prospectus; and
(iii) making inquiries of certain officials of the Company who have
responsibility for financial and accounting matters regarding such
unaudited financial statements or any specified unaudited amounts
derived therefrom (it being understood that the foregoing procedures do
not constitute an audit performed in accordance with generally accepted
auditing standards and they would not necessarily reveal matters of
significance with respect to the comments made in such letter, and
accordingly that Deloitte & Touche LLP make no representations as to
the sufficiency of such procedures for the Underwriter's purposes),
nothing came to their attention that caused them to believe that: (1)
any material modifications should be made to the unaudited condensed
financial statements, if any, incorporated by reference in the
Prospectus, for them to be in conformity with GAAP; (2) such unaudited
condensed financial statements do not comply as to form in all material
respects with the applicable accounting requirements of the 1934 Act as
it applies to Form 10-Q and the related published rules and regulations
thereunder; (3) the unaudited amounts for Operating Revenues, Earnings
Before Income Taxes and Net Income After Dividends on Preferred Stock
and the unaudited Ratios of Earnings to Fixed Charges and Earnings to
Fixed Charges Plus Preferred Dividend Requirements (Pre-Income Tax
Basis) set forth in the Prospectus do not agree with the amounts set
forth in or derived from the unaudited financial statements for the
same period (4) as of a specified date not more than five business days
prior to the date of delivery of such letter, there has been any change
in the capital stock or long-term debt of the Company or any decrease
in net assets as compared with amounts shown in the latest audited
balance sheet incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, except in
each case for changes or decreases which (i) the Prospectus discloses
have occurred or may occur, (ii) are occasioned by the declaration of
dividends, (iii) are occasioned by draw-downs and regularly scheduled
payments of capitalized lease obligations, (iv) are occasioned by the
purchase or redemption of bonds or stock to satisfy mandatory or
optional redemption provisions relating thereto, (v) are occasioned by
reclassification of current maturities of long-term debt or (vi) are
disclosed in such letter; and (5) the unaudited amounts for Operating
Revenues, Earnings Before Income Taxes and Net Income After Dividends
on Preferred Stock and the unaudited Ratios of Earnings to Fixed
Charges and Earnings to Fixed Charges Plus Preferred Dividend
Requirements (Pre-Income Tax Basis) for any calendar quarter subsequent
to those set forth in (3) above, which, if available, shall be set
forth in such letter, do not agree with the amounts set forth in or
derived from the unaudited financial statements for the same period or
were not determined on a basis substantially consistent with that of
the corresponding audited amounts or ratios included or incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus.
(6) On the Closing Date, counsel for the Underwriter shall have been furnished with such documents and opinions as it may reasonably require for the purpose of enabling it to pass upon the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated and related proceedings, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the representations or warranties, or the fulfillment of any of the conditions, herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Senior Notes as herein contemplated shall be satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriter and Dewey Ballantine LLP, counsel for the Underwriter.
(7) That no amendment or supplement to the Registration Statement or the Final Supplemented Prospectus filed subsequent to the date of this Agreement (including any filing made by the Company pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act) shall be unsatisfactory in form to Dewey Ballantine LLP or shall contain information (other than with respect to an amendment or supplement relating solely to the activity of the Underwriter) which, in the reasonable judgment of the Underwriter, shall materially impair the marketability of the Senior Notes.
(8) The Company shall have performed its obligations when and as provided under this Agreement.
If any condition specified in this Section shall not have been fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Underwriter by notice to the Company at any time prior to the Closing Date, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as provided in Sections 4, 7 and 9(b) hereof.
SECTION 6. CONDITIONS OF THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE COMPANY. The obligations of the
Company shall be subject to the conditions set forth in the first sentence of
Section 5(a) and in Section 5(b). In case such conditions shall not have been
fulfilled, this Agreement may be terminated by the Company by mailing or
delivering written notice thereof to the Underwriter. Any such termination shall
be without liability of any party to any other party except as otherwise
provided in Sections 4, 7 and 9(b) hereof.
(a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriter and each
person, if any, who controls the Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of
the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act, against any and all losses,
claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which they or any of them
may become subject under the 1933 Act, 1934 Act or otherwise, and to reimburse
the Underwriter and such controlling person or persons, if any, for any legal or
other expenses incurred by them in connection with defending any actions,
insofar as such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions arise out of or
are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material
fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus or, if the Company shall furnish
to the Underwriter any amendments or any supplements thereto, or shall make any
filings pursuant to Section 13 or 14 of the 1934 Act which are incorporated by
reference therein, in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement,
the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus as so amended or
supplemented, or arise out of or are based upon any omission or alleged omission
to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses,
claims, damages, liabilities or actions arise out of or are based upon any such
untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission
which was made in such Registration Statement, Preliminary Prospectus,
Prospectus or Final Supplemented Prospectus in reliance upon and in conformity
with information furnished in writing to the Company by, or through the
Underwriter for use therein and except that this indemnity with respect to the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, if
the Company shall have furnished any amendment or supplement thereto, shall not
inure to the benefit of the Underwriter (or of any person controlling the
Underwriter) on account of any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or actions
arising from the sale of the Senior Notes to any person if a copy of the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus
(exclusive of documents incorporated therein by reference pursuant to Item 12 of
Form S-3), as the same may then be amended or supplemented, shall not have been
sent or given by or on behalf of the Underwriter to such person with or prior to
the written confirmation of the sale involved and the untrue statement or
alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was corrected in the
Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus as
supplemented or amended at the time of such confirmation. The Underwriter
agrees, within ten days after the receipt by it of notice of the commencement of
any action in respect of which indemnity may be sought by it, or by any person
controlling it, from the Company on account of its agreement contained in this
Section 7, to notify the Company in writing of the commencement thereof but the
omission of the Underwriter so to notify the Company of any such action shall
not release the Company from any liability which it may have to the Underwriter
or to such controlling person otherwise than on account of the indemnity
agreement contained in this Section 7. In case any such action shall be brought
against the Underwriter or any such person controlling the Underwriter and the
Underwriter shall notify the Company of the commencement thereof as above
provided, the Company shall be entitled to participate in (and, to the extent
that it shall wish, including the selection of counsel, to direct) the defense
thereof, at its own expense. In case the Company elects to direct such defense
and select such counsel, the Underwriter or controlling person shall have the
right to employ its own counsel, but, in any such case, the fees and expenses of
such counsel shall be at the expense of the Underwriter or such controlling
person unless the employment of such counsel has been authorized in writing by
the Company in connection with defending such action. No indemnifying party
shall, without the written consent of the indemnified party, effect the
settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim in respect of which
indemnification may be sought hereunder (whether or not the indemnified party is
an actual or potential party to such action or claim) unless such settlement,
compromise or judgment (i) includes an unconditional release of the indemnified
party from all liability arising out of such action or claim and (ii) does not
include any statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure
to act, by or on behalf of any indemnified party. In no event shall any
indemnifying party have any liability or responsibility in respect of the
settlement or compromise of, or consent to the entry of any judgment with
respect to, any pending or threatened action or claim effected without its prior
written consent.
(b) The Underwriter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Company, its directors and such of its officers who have signed the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20(a) of the 1934 Act to the same extent and upon the same terms as the indemnity agreement of the Company set forth in Section 7(a) hereof, but only with respect to alleged untrue statements or omissions made in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus, the Prospectus or the Final Supplemented Prospectus, or such documents as amended or supplemented, in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by the Underwriter for use therein.
SECTION 8. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS TO SURVIVE DELIVERY. All representations, warranties and agreements contained in this Agreement, or contained in certificates of officers of the Company submitted pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of the Underwriter or controlling person, or by, or on behalf of the Company and shall survive delivery of the Senior Notes to the Underwriter.
(a) The Underwriter may terminate this Agreement, by notice to the Company, at any time at or prior to the Closing Date if (i) trading in securities on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been generally suspended or there shall have been a material disruption in settlement in securities generally, (ii) minimum or maximum ranges for prices shall have been generally established on the New York Stock Exchange by the Commission or by the New York Stock Exchange, (iii) a general banking moratorium shall have been declared by federal or New York State authorities, or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of major hostilities in which the United States is involved, any declaration of war by the United States Congress or any other substantial national or international calamity, crisis or emergency (including, without limitation, acts of terrorism) affecting the United States, in any such case provided for in clauses (i) through (iv) with the result that, in the reasonable judgment of the Underwriter, the marketability of the Senior Notes shall have been materially impaired.
(b) If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriter pursuant to subsection (a) above or because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Company to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Company shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, then in any such case, the Company will reimburse the Underwriter for the reasonable fees and disbursements of Dewey Ballantine LLP and for the out of pocket expenses (in an amount not exceeding $10,000) reasonably incurred by the Underwriter in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of the Senior Notes and, upon such reimbursement, the Company shall be absolved from any further liability hereunder, except as provided in Sections 4 and 7.
SECTION 10. NOTICES. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if mailed or transmitted by any standard form of telecommunication. Notices to the Underwriter shall be directed to Goldman, Sachs & Co., 85 Broad Street, New York, New York, 10004, Attention: Credit Capital Markets; notices to the Company shall be mailed to 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374, Attention: Corporate Secretary, with a copy to Southern Company Services, Inc., 270 Peachtree Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, Attention: Earl C. Long.
SECTION 11. PARTIES. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Underwriter, the Company and their respective successors. Nothing expressed or mentioned in this Agreement is intended or shall be construed to give any person, firm or corporation, other than the Underwriter and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling persons and officers and directors referred to in Section 7 and their heirs and legal representatives, any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or in respect of this Agreement or any provision herein contained. This Agreement and all conditions and provisions hereof are intended to be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Underwriter and the Company and their respective successors, and said controlling persons and officers and directors and their heirs and legal representatives, and for the benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Senior Notes from the Underwriter shall be deemed to be a successor by reason merely of such purchase.
SECTION 12. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York applicable to agreements made and to be performed in said State. Except as otherwise set forth herein, specified times of day refer to New York City time.
SECTION 13. COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding of our agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon this instrument, along with all counterparts, will become a binding agreement between the Underwriter and the Company in accordance with its terms.
Very truly yours,
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
By: ______________________________
Title:
CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED,
as of the date first above written
GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
By: ___________________________
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
Schedule I
[Letterhead of TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP]
April 15, 2003
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Georgia Power Company (the "Company") in connection with (i) the Company's issuance and sale of $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005 (the "Notes") pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and as supplemented by the Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture"); and (ii) the purchase by you of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated April 11, 2003 (the "Underwriting Agreement"). Pursuant to a Calculation Agent Agreement, dated as of February 15, 2003 (the "Calculation Agent Agreement"), between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank , as calculation agent thereunder (the "Calculation Agent"), the Company has engaged the Calculation Agent to perform certain services with respect to the floating interest rate on the Notes. This opinion is being delivered to you pursuant to Section 5(c)(1) of the Underwriting Agreement.
All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02) pertaining to the Notes and certain other securities (the "Registration Statement") filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the prospectus of the Company dated February 13, 2003 as supplemented by the prospectus supplement dated April 11, 2003 (the "Final Supplemented Prospectus"), which pursuant to Form S-3 incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 (the "Form 10-K") and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated February 13, 2003, February 21, 2003 and April 10, 2003 (the "Exchange Act Documents"), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, other than those of the Company, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
The Indenture, the Calculation Agent Agreement and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to collectively as the "Agreements".
Based on the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion, relying as to matters of New York law upon the opinion dated the date hereof rendered to you by Dewey Ballantine LLP, that:
1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia, and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged, to own and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
3. All orders, consents or other authorizations or approvals of the Georgia Public Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Georgia or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or "blue sky" laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. Each of the Calculation Agent Agreement and the Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Calculation Agent and the Trustee, respectively, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations thereunder may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by you pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with your counsel. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, as of its effective date, and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of April 11, 2003, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, as of the date of filing of the Form 10-K (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series P Senior Notes -- Book-Entry Only Issuance -- The Depository Trust Company".
We are members of the State Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of Georgia and the federal law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the laws of the State of New York.
This opinion is rendered to you in connection with the above-described transaction. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent, except that Dewey Ballantine LLP may rely on this opinion in giving its opinion pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Underwriting Agreement insofar as such opinion relates to matters of Georgia law.
Yours very truly,
TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP
Schedule II
[Letterhead of Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP]
April 15, 2003
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
Georgia Power Company
241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374
Georgia Power Company Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to (i) JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank) (the "Bank") in connection with (a) the Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 as heretofore supplemented (the "Original Indenture"), between Georgia Power Company (the "Company") and the Bank, as Trustee, and (b) the Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (together with the Original Indenture, herein called the "Indenture"), between the Company and the Bank, as Trustee, and (c) the Calculation Agent Agreement, dated as of February 15, 2003, between the Company and the Bank, as Calculation Agent (the "Calculation Agent Agreement"),
In that connection, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such documents, records and other instruments as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purpose of this opinion, including copies of the Indenture, the Calculation Agent Agreement and certain resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Bank.
Based upon the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:
(i) the Bank has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a banking corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New York;
(ii) the Bank has the corporate trust power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its duties under the Indenture and the Calculation Agent Agreement, has duly executed and delivered the Indenture and the Calculation Agent Agreement, and, insofar as the laws governing the trust powers of the Bank are concerned and assuming due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Company, each of the Indenture and the Calculation Agent Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement of the Bank, enforceable against the Bank in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors' rights generally from time to time in effect and to general principles of equity (including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing), regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law;
(iii) the execution, delivery and performance by the Bank of the Indenture and the Calculation Agent Agreement do not conflict with or constitute a breach of the charter or bylaws of the Bank; and
(iv) no approval, authorization or other action by, or filing with, any governmental authority of the United States of America or the State of New York having jurisdiction over the trust powers of the Bank is required in connection with the execution and delivery by the Bank of the Indenture or the Calculation Agent Agreement or the performance by the Bank of its duties thereunder, except such as have been obtained, taken or made.
We are admitted to practice only in the State of New York, and we express no opinion as to matters governed by any laws other than the laws of the State of New York and the Federal law of the United States of America. We are furnishing this opinion to you solely for your benefit. This opinion is not to be relied upon by any other person or used, circulated, quoted or otherwise referred to for any other purpose.
Very truly yours,
CRAVATH, SWAINE & MOORE LLP
Schedule III
[Letterhead of DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP]
April 15, 2003
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
85 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes
due April 15, 2005
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have represented you in connection with (i) the issuance by Georgia Power Company (the "Company") of $50,000,000 of its Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005 (the "Notes") pursuant to a Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998, by and between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by the Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture"); and (ii) the purchase by you of the Notes pursuant to the terms of an Underwriting Agreement dated April 11, 2003, between the Company and you (the "Underwriting Agreement"). Pursuant to a Calculation Agent Agreement, dated as of February 15, 2003 (the "Calculation Agent Agreement"), between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank , as calculation agent thereunder (the "Calculation Agent"), the Company has engaged the Calculation Agent to perform certain services with respect to the floating interest rate on the Notes. This opinion is being delivered to you pursuant to Section 5(c)(3) of the Underwriting Agreement.
All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.
In rendering the opinions expressed below, we have examined the registration statement on Form S-3 (File Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02) pertaining to the Notes (the "Registration Statement"), filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the prospectus dated February 13, 2003, as supplemented by a final prospectus supplement relating to the Notes dated April 11, 2003, which pursuant to Form S-3 incorporates by reference the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002 (the "Form 10-K") and the Current Reports on Form 8-K of the Company dated February 13, 2003, February 21, 2003 and April 10, 2003 (the "Exchange Act Documents"), each as filed under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").
In addition, we have examined, and have relied as to matters of fact upon, the documents delivered to you at the closing (except the certificate representing the Notes, of which we have examined a specimen), and we have made such other and further investigations as we deemed necessary to express the opinions hereinafter set forth. In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents.
The Indenture, the Calculation Agent Agreement and the Underwriting Agreement are herein referred to as the "Agreements".
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion, relying as aforesaid and as to all matters covered hereby which are governed by or dependent upon the law of the State of Georgia upon the opinion of Troutman Sanders LLP, dated the date hereof and addressed to you that:
1. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Georgia and has due corporate authority to carry on the public utility business in which it is engaged and to own and operate the properties used by it in such business and to enter into and perform its obligations under the Agreements and the Notes.
2. The execution, delivery and performance by the Company of the Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action, and the Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company.
3. All orders, consents, or other authorizations or approvals of the Georgia Public Service Commission and the Commission legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes have been obtained; such orders are sufficient for the issuance and sale of the Notes; the issuance and sale of the Notes conform in all material respects with the terms of such orders; and no other order, consent or other authorization or approval of any Georgia or United States governmental body (other than in connection or in compliance with the provisions of the securities or "blue sky" laws of any jurisdiction, as to which we express no opinion) is legally required for the issuance and sale of the Notes in accordance with the terms of the Underwriting Agreement.
4. Each of the Indenture and the Calculation Agent Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company and, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery thereof by the Trustee and the Calculation Agent, respectively, constitutes a valid and legally binding instrument of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Indenture and the Calculation Agent Agreement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Indenture conforms as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
5. The Notes have been duly authorized and executed by the Company and, when authenticated by the Trustee in the manner provided in the Indenture and delivered to and paid for by the Underwriter pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, will constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms, subject to the qualifications that the enforceability of the Company's obligations under the Notes may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); and the Notes conform as to legal matters in all material respects to the description thereof in the Final Supplemented Prospectus.
6. The Indenture has been duly qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.
We have not independently verified the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements made or included in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and take no responsibility therefor, except as and to the extent set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5 above. In the course of the preparation by the Company of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, we participated in conferences with certain officers and employees of the Company, with representatives of Deloitte & Touche LLP and with counsel to the Company. Based upon our examination of the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus and the Exchange Act Documents, our investigations made in connection with the preparation of the Registration Statement and the Final Supplemented Prospectus and our participation in the conferences referred to above, (i) we are of the opinion that the Registration Statement, as of its effective date, and the Final Supplemented Prospectus, as of April 11, 2003, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and that the Exchange Act Documents, as of their respective dates of filing with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the relevant requirements of the Exchange Act and the applicable rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, except that in each case we express no opinion as to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents, and (ii) nothing came to our attention which gives us reason to believe that the Registration Statement, as of the date of filing of the Form 10-K (including the Exchange Act Documents on file with the Commission as of such date), contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the Final Supplemented Prospectus (including the Exchange Act Documents) contained, as of its date, or contains, on the date hereof, any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted, as of its date, or omits, on the date hereof, to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, except that in each case we express no opinion or belief with respect to the financial statements or other financial or statistical data contained or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement, the Final Supplemented Prospectus or the Exchange Act Documents and with respect to information set forth in the Final Supplemented Prospectus under the caption "Description of the Series P Senior Notes --Book-Entry Only Issuance --The Depository Trust Company".
We are members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York and the federal law of the United States, and to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of Georgia.
This opinion is rendered solely to you in connection with the above matter. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose or relied upon by or furnished to any other person without our prior written consent except that Troutman Sanders LLP may rely on this opinion in giving their opinions pursuant to Section 5(c) of the Underwriting Agreement and to Sections 102, 302 and 904 of the Indenture insofar as such opinions relate to matters of New York law.
Very truly yours,
DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP
Exhibit 4.1
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
TO
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
TRUSTEE
FOURTEENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
DATED AS OF APRIL 15, 2003
SERIES N 5.750% SENIOR NOTES
DUE APRIL 15, 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1
PAGE ARTICLE 1 SECTION 101. Establishment.......................................................................................1 ------------- SECTION 102. Definitions.........................................................................................2 ----------- SECTION 103. Payment of Principal and Interest...................................................................3 --------------------------------- SECTION 104. Denominations.......................................................................................4 ------------- SECTION 105. Global Securities...................................................................................4 ----------------- SECTION 106. Transfer............................................................................................4 -------- SECTION 107. Redemption at the Company's Option..................................................................5 ---------------------------------- ARTICLE 2 SECTION 201. Recitals by Company.................................................................................5 ------------------- SECTION 202. Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture................................................5 ---------------------------------------------------- SECTION 203. Executed in Counterparts............................................................................6 ------------------------ 1 This Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture or have any bearing upon the interpretation of any of its terms and provisions. |
THIS FOURTEENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE is made as of the 15th day of April, 2003, by and between GEORGIA POWER COMPANY, a Georgia corporation, 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374 (the "Company"), and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, a New York banking corporation, 4 New York Plaza, New York, New York 10004 (the "Trustee").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore entered into a Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 (the "Original Indenture"), with JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as heretofore supplemented;
WHEREAS, the Original Indenture is incorporated herein by this reference and the Original Indenture, as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by this Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture, is herein called the "Indenture";
WHEREAS, under the Original Indenture, a new series of Senior Notes may at any time be established by the Board of Directors of the Company in accordance with the provisions of the Original Indenture and the terms of such series may be described by a supplemental indenture executed by the Company and
the Trustee; WHEREAS, the Company proposes to create under the Indenture a new series of Senior Notes; WHEREAS, additional Senior Notes of other series hereafter |
established, except as may be limited in the Original Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified, may be issued from time to time pursuant to the Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified; and
WHEREAS, all conditions necessary to authorize the execution and delivery of this Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture and to make it a valid and binding obligation of the Company have been done or performed.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1.
Series N Senior Notes
SECTION 101. Establishment. There is hereby established a new series of Senior Notes to be issued under the Indenture, to be designated as the Company's Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023 (the "Series N Notes").
There are to be authenticated and delivered $100,000,000 principal amount of Series N Notes, and such principal amount of the Series N Notes may be increased from time to time pursuant to Section 301 of the Original Indenture. All Series N Notes need not be issued at the same time and such series may be reopened at any time, without the consent of any Holder, for issuances of additional Series N Notes. Any such additional Series N Notes will have the same interest rate, maturity and other terms as those initially issued. No Series N Notes shall be authenticated and delivered in excess of the principal amount as so increased except as provided by Sections 203, 303, 304, 907 or 1107 of the Original Indenture. The Series N Notes shall be issued in definitive fully registered form.
The Series N Notes shall be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities in substantially the form set out in Exhibit A hereto. The Depositary with respect to the Series N Notes shall be The Depository Trust Company.
The form of the Trustee's Certificate of Authentication for the Series N Notes shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.
Each Series N Note shall be dated the date of authentication thereof and shall bear interest from the date of original issuance thereof or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for.
SECTION 102. Definitions. The following defined terms used herein shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the meanings specified below. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Original Indenture.
"Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Series N Notes to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Series N Notes.
"Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any Redemption Date,
(i) the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) on the third
Business Day in New York City preceding such Redemption Date, as set forth in
the daily statistical release (or any successor release) published by the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York and designated "H.15(519)" or (ii) if such
release (or any successor release) is not published or does not contain such
prices on such Business Day, the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such
Redemption Date.
"Independent Investment Banker" means an independent investment banking institution of national standing appointed by the Company and reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
"Interest Payment Dates" means April 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing on October 15, 2003.
"Original Issue Date" means April 15, 2003.
"Reference Treasury Dealer" means a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City appointed by the Company and reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
"Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation" means, with respect to the Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount and quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m. on the third Business Day in New York City preceding such Redemption Date).
"Regular Record Date" means, with respect to each Interest Payment Date, the close of business on the 15th calendar day preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day).
"Stated Maturity" means April 15, 2023.
"Treasury Yield" means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.
SECTION 103. Payment of Principal and Interest. The principal of the Series N Notes shall be due at Stated Maturity (unless earlier redeemed). The unpaid principal amount of the Series N Notes shall bear interest at the rate of 5.750% per annum until paid or duly provided for. Interest shall be paid semiannually in arrears on each Interest Payment Date to the Person in whose name the Series N Notes are registered on the Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date, provided that interest payable at the Stated Maturity of principal or on a Redemption Date as provided herein will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Any such interest that is not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holders on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person or Persons in whose name the Series N Notes are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of the Series N Notes not less than ten (10) days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Series N Notes shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Original Indenture.
Payments of interest on the Series N Notes will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for the Series N Notes shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. In the event that any date on which interest is payable on the Series N Notes is not a Business Day, then a payment of the interest payable on such date will be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or other payment in respect of any such delay), with the same force and effect as if made on the date the payment was originally payable.
Payment of the principal and interest due at the Stated Maturity or earlier redemption of the Series N Notes shall be made upon surrender of the Series N Notes at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The principal of and interest on the Series N Notes shall be paid in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments of interest (including interest on any Interest Payment Date) will be made, subject to such surrender where applicable, at the option of the Company, (i) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by wire transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.
SECTION 104. Denominations. The Series N Notes may be issued in the denominations of $1,000, or any integral multiple thereof.
SECTION 105. Global Securities. The Series N Notes will be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities registered in the name of the Depositary (which shall be The Depository Trust Company) or its nominee. Except under the limited circumstances described below, Series N Notes represented by the Global Security will not be exchangeable for, and will not otherwise be issuable as, Series N Notes in definitive form. The Global Securities described above may not be transferred except by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or its nominee.
Owners of beneficial interests in such a Global Security will not be considered the Holders thereof for any purpose under the Indenture, and no Global Security representing a Series N Note shall be exchangeable, except for another Global Security of like denomination and tenor to be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee or to a successor Depositary or its nominee. The rights of Holders of such Global Security shall be exercised only through the Depositary.
A Global Security shall be exchangeable for Series N Notes registered in the names of persons other than the Depositary or its nominee only if (i) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a Depositary for such Global Security and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Company, or if at any time the Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, at a time when the Depositary is required to be so registered to act as such Depositary and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Company, in each case within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such cessation, (ii) the Company in its sole discretion determines that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable, or (iii) there shall have occurred an Event of Default with respect to the Series N Notes. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Series N Notes registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct.
SECTION 106. Transfer. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of Series N Notes, but payment will be required of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection therewith.
The Company shall not be required (a) to issue, transfer or exchange
any Series N Notes during a period beginning at the opening of business fifteen
(15) days before the date of the mailing of a notice pursuant to Section 1104 of
the Original Indenture identifying the serial numbers of the Series N Notes to
be called for redemption, and ending at the close of business on the day of the
mailing, or (b) to transfer or exchange any Series N Notes theretofore selected
for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Series
N Notes redeemed in part.
SECTION 107. Redemption at the Company's Option. The Series N Notes shall be subject to redemption at the option of the Company in whole or in part, at any time, upon not less than 30 nor more than 60 days' notice, at Redemption Prices equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the principal amount of the Series N Notes being redeemed or (ii) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal of and interest on the Series N Notes being redeemed discounted to the Redemption Date on a semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at a discount rate equal to the Treasury Yield plus 20 basis points, plus, for (i) and (ii) above, whichever is applicable, accrued interest on the Series N Notes to the Redemption Date.
The Trustee shall not be responsible for the calculation of the Redemption Price. The Company shall calculate the Redemption Price and promptly notify the Trustee thereof.
In the event of redemption of the Series N Notes in part only, a new Series N Note or Notes for the unredeemed portion will be issued in the name or names of the Holders thereof upon the surrender thereof.
The Series N Notes will not have a sinking fund.
Notice of redemption shall be given as provided in Section 1104 of the Original Indenture except that any notice of redemption shall not specify the Redemption Price but only the manner of calculation thereof.
Any redemption of less than all of the Series N Notes shall, with respect to the principal thereof, be divisible by $1,000.
ARTICLE 2
Miscellaneous Provisions
SECTION 201. Recitals by Company. The recitals in this Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture are made by the Company only and not by the Trustee, and all of the provisions contained in the Original Indenture in respect of the rights, privileges, immunities, powers and duties of the Trustee shall be applicable in respect of Series N Notes and of this Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture as fully and with like effect as if set forth herein in full.
SECTION 202. Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture. As heretofore supplemented and as supplemented hereby, the Original Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and the Original Indenture as heretofore supplemented and as supplemented by this Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument.
SECTION 203. Executed in Counterparts. This Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture may be simultaneously executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
GPC Series N Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture.DOC IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto has caused this instrument to be signed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized officers, all as of the day and year first above written.
ATTEST: ......... GEORGIA POWER COMPANY By: ......... By: -------------------------------- ------------------------------------ Wayne Boston Allen L. Leverett Assistant Secretary Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer ATTEST: ......... JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, as Trustee By: ......... By: ----------------------------------------- ------------------- Nicholas Sberlati Carol Ng Trust Officer Vice President |
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF SERIES N NOTE
GPC Series N Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture.DOC
NO. ___ CUSIP NO. 373334FS5
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
SERIES N 5.750% SENIOR NOTE
DUE APRIL 15, 2023
Principal Amount: $__________________ Regular Record Date: 15th calendar day prior to Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day) Original Issue Date: April 15, 2003 Stated Maturity: April 15, 2023 Interest Payment Dates: April 15 and October 15 Interest Rate: 5.750% per annum |
Authorized Denomination: $1,000, or any integral multiple thereof
Georgia Power Company, a Georgia corporation (the "Company", which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises to pay to __________, or registered assigns, the principal sum of ______________ DOLLARS ($__________) on the Stated Maturity shown above (or upon earlier redemption), and to pay interest thereon from the Original Issue Date shown above, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, semiannually in arrears on each Interest Payment Date as specified above, commencing on October 15, 2003 and on the Stated Maturity (or upon earlier redemption) at the rate per annum shown above until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment and on any overdue principal and on any overdue installment of interest. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (other than an Interest Payment Date that is the Stated Maturity or on a Redemption Date) will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (the "Note") is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date as specified above next preceding such Interest Payment Date, provided that any interest payable at the Stated Maturity or on any Redemption Date will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Notes of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Notes of this series shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture.
Payments of interest on this Note will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for this Note shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. In the event that any date on which interest is payable on this Note is not a Business Day, then payment of the interest payable on such date will be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or other payment in respect of any such delay), with the same force and effect as if made on the date the payment was originally payable. A "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed or a day on which the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is closed for business.
Payment of the principal of and interest due at the Stated Maturity or earlier redemption of the Series N Notes shall be made upon surrender of the Series N Notes at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The principal of and interest on the Series N Notes shall be paid in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payment of interest (including interest on an Interest Payment Date) will be made, subject to such surrender where applicable, at the option of the Company, (i) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by wire transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least 16 days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.
REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE TO THE FURTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS NOTE SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF, WHICH FURTHER PROVISIONS SHALL FOR ALL PURPOSES HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS IF SET FORTH AT THIS PLACE.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by manual signature, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed under its corporate seal.
Dated:
......... GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Attest:
.........
Title:
{Seal of GEORGIA POWER COMPANY appears here}
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Senior Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
......... JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
......... as Trustee
(Reverse Side of Note)
This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Senior Notes of the Company (the "Notes"), issued and issuable in one or more series under a Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998, as supplemented (the "Indenture"), between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as Trustee (the "Trustee," which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures incidental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitation of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes issued thereunder and of the terms upon which said Notes are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Note is one of the series designated on the face hereof as Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023 (the "Series N Notes") which is unlimited in aggregate principal amount. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Indenture.
The Series N Notes shall be subject to redemption at the option of the
Company in whole or in part at any time upon not less than 30 nor more than 60
days' notice, at Redemption Prices equal to the greater of (i) 100% of the
principal amount of the Series N Notes being redeemed or (ii) the sum of the
present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal of and interest
on the Series N Notes being redeemed discounted to the Redemption Date on a
semi-annual basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months)
at a discount rate equal to the Treasury Yield plus 20 basis points, plus, for
(i) and (ii) above, whichever is applicable, accrued interest on the Series N
Notes to the Redemption Date.
"Comparable Treasury Issue" means the United States Treasury security selected by an Independent Investment Banker as having a maturity comparable to the remaining term of the Series N Notes to be redeemed that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining term of the Series N Notes.
"Comparable Treasury Price" means, with respect to any Redemption Date,
(i) the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue
(expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) on the third
Business Day in New York City preceding such Redemption Date, as set forth in
the daily statistical release (or any successor release) published by the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York and designated "H.15(519)" or (ii) if such
release (or any successor release) is not published or does not contain such
prices on such Business Day, the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such
Redemption Date.
"Independent Investment Banker" means an independent investment banking institution of national standing appointed by the Company and reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
"Reference Treasury Dealer" means a primary U.S. Government securities dealer in New York City appointed by the Company and reasonably acceptable to the Trustee.
"Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation" means, with respect to the Reference Treasury Dealer and any Redemption Date, the average, as determined by the Trustee, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount and quoted in writing to the Trustee by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m. on the third Business Day in New York City preceding such Redemption Date).
"Treasury Yield" means, with respect to any Redemption Date, the rate per annum equal to the semi-annual equivalent yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, assuming a price for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such Redemption Date.
The Trustee shall not be responsible for the calculation of the Redemption Price. The Company shall calculate the Redemption Price and promptly notify the Trustee thereof.
In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note or Notes of this series for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof.
The Series N Notes will not have a sinking fund.
If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Notes of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions provided in the Indenture.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Notes of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Notes of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Notes of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company for such purpose, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar and duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes of this series, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees. No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
The Notes of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Notes of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of this series of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same upon surrender of the Note or Notes to be exchanged at the office or agency of the Company.
This Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
ABBREVIATIONS
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
TEN COM- as tenants in UNIF GIFT MIN ACT- _______ Custodian ________ common (Cust) (Minor) TEN ENT- as tenants by the entireties under Uniform Gifts to JT TEN- as joint tenants Minors Act with right of survivorship and ________________________ not as tenants (State) in common |
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not on the above list.
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s) and transfer(s) unto
(please insert Social Security or other identifying number of assignee)
PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE OF ASSIGNEE
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and appointing
agent to transfer said Note on the books of the Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.
.........
NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument in every particular without alteration or enlargement, or any change whatever.
EXHIBIT B
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Senior Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
......... JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
......... as Trustee
Exhibit 4.2
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
TO
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
TRUSTEE
FIFTEENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
DATED AS OF APRIL 15, 2003
SERIES O 5.90% SENIOR NOTES
DUE APRIL 15, 2033
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 PAGE ARTICLE 1 SECTION 101. Establishment.......................................................................................1 ------------- SECTION 102. Definitions.........................................................................................2 ----------- SECTION 103. Payment of Principal and Interest...................................................................2 --------------------------------- SECTION 104. Denominations.......................................................................................3 ------------- SECTION 105. Global Securities...................................................................................3 ----------------- SECTION 106. Transfer............................................................................................4 -------- SECTION 107. Redemption at the Company's Option..................................................................4 ---------------------------------- ARTICLE 2 SECTION 201. Recitals by Company.................................................................................4 ------------------- SECTION 202. Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture................................................5 ---------------------------------------------------- SECTION 203. Executed in Counterparts............................................................................5 ------------------------ 1 This Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture or have any bearing upon the interpretation of any of its terms and provisions. |
THIS FIFTEENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE is made as of the 15th day of April, 2003, by and between GEORGIA POWER COMPANY, a Georgia corporation, 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374 (the "Company"), and |
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, a New York banking corporation, 4 New York Plaza, New York, New York 10004 (the "Trustee").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore entered into a Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 (the "Original Indenture"), with JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as heretofore supplemented;
WHEREAS, the Original Indenture is incorporated herein by this reference and the Original Indenture, as heretofore supplemented and as further
supplemented by this Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture, is herein called the "Indenture"; WHEREAS, under the Original Indenture, a new series of Senior Notes may at any time be established by the Board of Directors of the Company in accordance |
with the provisions of the Original Indenture and the terms of such series may be described by a supplemental indenture executed by the Company and the Trustee;
WHEREAS, the Company proposes to create under the Indenture a new series of Senior Notes;
WHEREAS, additional Senior Notes of other series hereafter established, except as may be limited in the Original Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified, may be issued from time to time pursuant to the Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified; and
WHEREAS, all conditions necessary to authorize the execution and delivery of this Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture and to make it a valid and binding obligation of the Company have been done or performed.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
Series O Senior Notes
SECTION 101. Establishment. There is hereby established a new series of Senior Notes to be issued under the Indenture, to be designated as the Company's Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033 (the "Series O Notes").
There are to be authenticated and delivered $150,000,000 principal amount of Series O Notes, and such principal amount of the Series O Notes may be increased from time to time pursuant to Section 301 of the Original Indenture. All Series O Notes need not be issued at the same time and such series may be reopened at any time, without the consent of any Holder, for issuances of additional Series O Notes. Any such additional Series O Notes will have the same interest rate, maturity and other terms as those initially issued. No Series O Notes shall be authenticated and delivered in excess of the principal amount as so increased except as provided by Sections 203, 303, 304, 907 or 1107 of the Original Indenture. The Series O Notes shall be issued in definitive fully registered form.
The Series O Notes shall be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities in substantially the form set out in Exhibit A hereto. The Depositary with respect to the Series O Notes shall be The Depository Trust Company.
The form of the Trustee's Certificate of Authentication for the Series O Notes shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.
Each Series O Note shall be dated the date of authentication thereof and shall bear interest from the date of original issuance thereof or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for.
SECTION 102. Definitions. The following defined terms used herein shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the meanings specified below. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Original Indenture.
"Interest Payment Dates" means January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing on July 15, 2003.
"Original Issue Date" means April 15, 2003.
"Regular Record Date" means, with respect to each Interest Payment Date, the close of business on the 15th calendar day preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day).
"Stated Maturity" means April 15, 2033.
SECTION 103. Payment of Principal and Interest. The principal of the Series O Notes shall be due at Stated Maturity (unless earlier redeemed). The unpaid principal amount of the Series O Notes shall bear interest at the rate of 5.90% per annum until paid or duly provided for. Interest shall be paid quarterly in arrears on each Interest Payment Date to the Person in whose name the Series O Notes are registered on the Regular Record Date for such Interest Payment Date, provided that interest payable at the Stated Maturity of principal or on a Redemption Date as provided herein will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Any such interest that is not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holders on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person or Persons in whose name the Series O Notes are registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of the Series O Notes not less than ten (10) days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Series O Notes shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Original Indenture.
Payments of interest on the Series O Notes will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for the Series O Notes shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. In the event that any date on which interest is payable on the Series O Notes is not a Business Day, then a payment of the interest payable on such date will be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or other payment in respect of any such delay), with the same force and effect as if made on the date the payment was originally payable.
Payment of the principal and interest due at the Stated Maturity or earlier redemption of the Series O Notes shall be made upon surrender of the Series O Notes at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The principal of and interest on the Series O Notes shall be paid in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments of interest (including interest on any Interest Payment Date) will be made, subject to such surrender where applicable, at the option of the Company, (i) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by wire transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.
SECTION 104. Denominations. The Series O Notes may be issued in the denominations of $25, or any integral multiple thereof.
SECTION 105. Global Securities. The Series O Notes will be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities registered in the name of the Depositary (which shall be The Depository Trust Company) or its nominee. Except under the limited circumstances described below, Series O Notes represented by one or more Global Securities will not be exchangeable for, and will not otherwise be issuable as, Series O Notes in definitive form. The Global Securities described above may not be transferred except by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or its nominee.
Owners of beneficial interests in such a Global Security will not be considered the Holders thereof for any purpose under the Indenture, and no Global Security representing a Series O Note shall be exchangeable, except for another Global Security of like denomination and tenor to be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee or to a successor Depositary or its nominee. The rights of Holders of such Global Security shall be exercised only through the Depositary.
A Global Security shall be exchangeable for Series O Notes registered in the names of persons other than the Depositary or its nominee only if (i) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a Depositary for such Global Security and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Company, or if at any time the Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, at a time when the Depositary is required to be so registered to act as such Depositary and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Company, in each case within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such cessation, (ii) the Company in its sole discretion determines that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable, or (iii) there shall have occurred an Event of Default with respect to the Series O Notes. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Series O Notes registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct.
SECTION 106. Transfer. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of Series O Notes, but payment will be required of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection therewith.
The Company shall not be required (a) to issue, transfer or exchange
any Series O Notes during a period beginning at the opening of business fifteen
(15) days before the date of the mailing of a notice pursuant to Section 1104 of
the Original Indenture identifying the serial numbers of the Series O Notes to
be called for redemption, and ending at the close of business on the day of the
mailing, or (b) to transfer or exchange any Series O Notes theretofore selected
for redemption in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any Series
O Notes redeemed in part.
SECTION 107. Redemption at the Company's Option. The Series O Notes shall be subject to redemption at the option of the Company in whole or in part, without premium or penalty, at any time or from time to time on or after April 15, 2008, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Series O Notes to be redeemed plus accrued but unpaid interest on the Series O Notes to the Redemption Date.
In the event of redemption of the Series O Notes in part only, a new Series O Note or Notes for the unredeemed portion will be issued in the name or names of the Holders thereof upon the surrender thereof.
The Series O Notes will not have a sinking fund.
Notice of redemption shall be given as provided in Section 1104 of the Original Indenture.
Any redemption of less than all of the Series O Notes shall, with respect to the principal thereof, be divisible by $25.
ARTICLE 2
Miscellaneous Provisions
SECTION 201. Recitals by Company. The recitals in this Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture are made by the Company only and not by the Trustee, and all of the provisions contained in the Original Indenture in respect of the rights, privileges, immunities, powers and duties of the Trustee shall be applicable in respect of Series O Notes and of this Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture as fully and with like effect as if set forth herein in full.
SECTION 202. Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture. As heretofore supplemented and as supplemented hereby, the Original Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and the Original Indenture as heretofore supplemented and as supplemented by this Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument.
SECTION 203. Executed in Counterparts. This Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture may be simultaneously executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto has caused this instrument to be signed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized officers, all as of the day and year first above written.
ATTEST: ......... GEORGIA POWER COMPANY By: ......... By: ----------------------------------- -------------------------------- Wayne Boston Allen L. Leverett Assistant Secretary Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer ATTEST: ......... JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, as Trustee By: ......... By: ----------------------------------- ----------------------------- Nicholas Sberlati Carol Ng Trust Officer Vice President |
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF SERIES O NOTE
CUSIP NO. 373334 53 1
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
SERIES O 5.90% SENIOR NOTE
DUE APRIL 15, 2033
Principal Amount: $__________________ Regular Record Date: 15th calendar day prior to Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day) Original Issue Date: April 15, 2003 Stated Maturity: April 15, 2033 Interest Payment Dates: January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15 Interest Rate: 5.90% per annum Authorized Denomination: $25, or any integral multiple thereof Initial Redemption Date: April 15, 2008 |
Georgia Power Company, a Georgia corporation (the "Company", which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises to pay to __________, or registered assigns, the principal sum of ______________ DOLLARS ($__________) on the Stated Maturity shown above (or upon earlier redemption), and to pay interest thereon from the Original Issue Date shown above, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, quarterly in arrears on each Interest Payment Date as specified above, commencing July 15, 2003 and on the Stated Maturity (or upon earlier redemption) at the rate per annum shown above until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment and on any overdue principal and on any overdue installment of interest. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (other than an Interest Payment Date that is the Stated Maturity or on a Redemption Date) will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (the "Note") is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date as specified above next preceding such Interest Payment Date, provided that any interest payable at the Stated Maturity or on any Redemption Date will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Notes of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Notes of this series shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture.
Payments of interest on this Note will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for this Note shall be computed and paid on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. In the event that any date on which interest is payable on this Note is not a Business Day, then payment of the interest payable on such date will be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or other payment in respect of any such delay), with the same force and effect as if made on the date the payment was originally payable. A "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed or a day on which the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is closed for business.
Payment of the principal of and interest due at the Stated Maturity or earlier redemption of the Series O Notes shall be made upon surrender of the Series O Notes at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The principal of and interest on the Series O Notes shall be paid in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payment of interest (including interest on an Interest Payment Date) will be made, subject to such surrender where applicable, at the option of the Company, (i) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by wire transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least 16 days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.
REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE TO THE FURTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS NOTE SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF, WHICH FURTHER PROVISIONS SHALL FOR ALL PURPOSES HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS IF SET FORTH AT THIS PLACE.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by manual signature, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed under its corporate seal.
Dated:
......... GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
Attest:
.........
Title:
{Seal of GEORGIA POWER COMPANY appears here}
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Senior Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
......... JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
......... as Trustee
(Reverse Side of Note)
This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Senior Notes of the Company (the "Notes"), issued and issuable in one or more series under a Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998, as supplemented (the "Indenture"), between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as Trustee (the "Trustee," which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures incidental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitation of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes issued thereunder and of the terms upon which said Notes are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Note is one of the series designated on the face hereof as Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033 (the "Series O Notes") which is unlimited in aggregate principal amount. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Indenture.
The Company shall have the right, subject to the terms and conditions of the Indenture, to redeem this Note at any time on or after April 15, 2008 at the option of the Company, without premium or penalty, in whole or in part, at a Redemption Price equal to 100% of the principal amount to be redeemed plus accrued but unpaid interest to the Redemption Date.
In the event of redemption of this Note in part only, a new Note or Notes of this series for the unredeemed portion hereof will be issued in the name of the Holder hereof upon the surrender hereof. The Notes will not have a sinking fund.
If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Notes of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions provided in the Indenture.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Notes of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Notes of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Notes of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the times, place and rate, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company for such purpose, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar and duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes of this series, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees. No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
The Notes of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $25 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Notes of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of this series of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same upon surrender of the Note or Notes to be exchanged at the office or agency of the Company.
This Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
ABBREVIATIONS
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
TEN COM- as tenants in UNIF GIFT MIN ACT- _______ Custodian ________ common (Cust) (Minor) TEN ENT- as tenants by the entireties under Uniform Gifts to JT TEN- as joint tenants Minors Act with right of survivorship and ________________________ not as tenants (State) in common |
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not on the above list.
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s) and transfer(s) unto
(please insert Social Security or other identifying number of assignee)
PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE OF
ASSIGNEE
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and
appointing agent to transfer said Note on the books of the Company, with full
power of substitution in the premises.
.........
NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as written upon the face of the within instrument in every particular without alteration or enlargement, or any change whatever.
EXHIBIT B
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Senior Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
......... JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
......... as Trustee
Exhibit 4.3
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
TO
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, TRUSTEE
SIXTEENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
DATED AS OF APRIL 15, 2003
$50,000,000
SERIES P FLOATING RATE SENIOR NOTES
DUE APRIL 15, 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 PAGE ARTICLE 1 SECTION 101. Establishment.......................................................................................2 ------------- SECTION 102. Definitions.........................................................................................3 ----------- SECTION 103. Payment of Principal and Interest...................................................................4 --------------------------------- SECTION 104. Determination of Interest Rate......................................................................5 ------------------------------ SECTION 105. Denominations.......................................................................................6 ------------- SECTION 106. Global Securities...................................................................................6 ----------------- SECTION 107. Transfer............................................................................................7 -------- ARTICLE 2 SECTION 201. Recitals by Company.................................................................................7 ------------------- SECTION 202. Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture................................................7 ---------------------------------------------------- SECTION 203. Executed in Counterparts............................................................................7 ------------------------ 1This Table of Contents does not constitute part of the Indenture or have any bearing upon the interpretation of any of its terms and provisions. |
THIS SIXTEENTH SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE is made as of the 15th day of April, 2003, by and between GEORGIA POWER COMPANY, a Georgia corporation, 241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374 (the "Company"), and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, a New York banking corporation, 4 New York Plaza, New York, New York 10004 (the "Trustee").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Company has heretofore entered into a Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998 (the "Original Indenture"), with JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as heretofore supplemented;
WHEREAS, the Original Indenture is incorporated herein by this reference and the Original Indenture, as heretofore supplemented and as further supplemented by this Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture, is herein called the "Indenture";
WHEREAS, under the Original Indenture, a new series of Senior Notes may at any time be established by the Board of Directors of the Company in accordance with the provisions of the Original Indenture and the terms of such series may be described by a supplemental indenture executed by the Company and
the Trustee; WHEREAS, the Company proposes to create under the Indenture a new series of Senior Notes; WHEREAS, additional Senior Notes of other series hereafter |
established, except as may be limited in the Original Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified, may be issued from time to time pursuant to the Indenture as at the time supplemented and modified; and
WHEREAS, all conditions necessary to authorize the execution and delivery of this Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture and to make it a valid and binding obligation of the Company have been done or performed.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1
Series P Senior Notes
SECTION 101. Establishment. There is hereby established a new series of Senior Notes to be issued under the Indenture, to be designated as the Company's Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005 (the "Series P Notes").
There are to be authenticated and delivered $50,000,000 principal amount of Series P Notes, and such principal amount of the Series P Notes may be increased from time to time pursuant to Section 301 of the Original Indenture. All Series P Notes need not be issued at the same time and such series may be reopened at any time, without the consent of any Holder, for issuances of additional Series P Notes. Any such additional Series P Notes will have the same interest rate, maturity and other terms as those initially issued. No Series P Notes shall be authenticated and delivered in excess of the principal amount as so increased except as provided by Sections 203, 303, 304 or 907 of the Original Indenture. The Series P Notes shall be issued in definitive fully registered form.
The Series P Notes shall be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities in substantially the form set out in Exhibit A hereto. The Depositary with respect to the Series P Notes shall be The Depository Trust Company.
The form of the Trustee's Certificate of Authentication for the Series P Notes shall be in substantially the form set forth in Exhibit B hereto.
Each Series P Note shall be dated the date of authentication thereof and shall bear interest from the date of original issuance thereof or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for. The Series P Notes will not redeemable at the option of the Company prior to the Stated Maturity and will not have a sinking fund.
SECTION 102. Definitions. The following defined terms used herein shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the meanings specified below. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Original Indenture.
"Calculation Agent" means JPMorgan Chase Bank, or its successor appointed by the Company, acting as calculation agent.
"Interest Determination Date" means the second London Business Day immediately preceding the first day of the relevant Interest Period.
"Interest Payment Dates" January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15 of each year, commencing July 15, 2003; provided, however, in the event that any Interest Payment Date would otherwise be a day that is not a Business Day, the Interest Payment Date will be the next succeeding Business Day.
"Interest Period" means the period commencing on an Interest Payment Date (or, with respect to the initial Interest Period only, commencing on the Original Issue Date) and ending on the day before the next succeeding Interest Payment Date.
"LIBOR" for any Interest Determination Date will be the Reported Rate for deposits in U.S. dollars having an index maturity of three months for a period commencing on the second London Business Day immediately following the Interest Determination Date in amounts of not less than $1,000,000, at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on the Interest Determination Date.
"London Business Day" means a day that is a Business Day and a day on which dealings in deposits in U. S. dollars are transacted, or with respect to any future date are expected to be transacted, in the London interbank market.
"Original Issue Date" means April 15, 2003.
"Rate Quotation" is defined in Section 104 hereof.
"Regular Record Date" means, with respect to each Interest Payment Date, the close of business on the 15th calendar day preceding such Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day).
"Reported Rate" means the rate that appears on Telerate Page 3750 or a successor reporter of such rates selected by the Calculation Agent and acceptable to the Company.
"Representative Amounts" is defined in Section 104 hereof.
"Stated Maturity" means April 15, 2005.
"Telerate Page 3750" means the display designated on page 3750 on Moneyline Telerate, Inc. (or such other page as may replace the 3750 page on that service or such other service as may be nominated by the British Bankers' Association for the purpose of displaying London interbank offered rates for U. S. dollar deposits).
SECTION 103. Payment of Principal and Interest. The principal of the
Series P Notes shall be due at Stated Maturity. The unpaid principal amount of
the Series P Notes shall bear interest at the rates set quarterly pursuant to
Section 104 hereof until paid or duly provided for. Interest shall be paid
quarterly in arrears on each Interest Payment Date to the Person in whose name
the Series P Notes are registered on the Regular Record Date for such Interest
Payment Date, provided that interest payable at the Stated Maturity of principal
as provided herein will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Any
such interest that is not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith
cease to be payable to the Holders on such Regular Record Date and may either be
paid to the Person or Persons in whose name the Series P Notes are registered at
the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted
interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of
the Series P Notes not less than ten (10) days prior to such Special Record
Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with
the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Series P Notes
shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange,
all as more fully provided in the Original Indenture.
Payments of interest on the Series P Notes will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for the Series P Notes shall be computed and paid on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed over a 360-day year.
Payment of the principal and interest due at the Stated Maturity of the Series P Notes shall be made upon surrender of the Series P Notes at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The principal of and interest on the Series P Notes shall be paid in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payments of interest (including interest on any Interest Payment Date) will be made, subject to such surrender where applicable, at the option of the Company, (i) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by wire transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least sixteen (16) days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.
SECTION 104. Determination of Interest Rate. The Series P Notes will bear interest for each Interest Period at a per annum rate determined by the Calculation Agent, subject to the maximum interest rate permitted by New York or other applicable state law, as such law may be modified by United States law of general application. The interest rate applicable during each Interest Period will be equal to LIBOR on the Interest Determination Date for such Interest Period plus 0.10%; provided, however, that in certain circumstances described below, the interest rate will be determined without reference to LIBOR. Promptly upon such determination, the Calculation Agent will notify the Company and the Trustee, if the Trustee is not then serving as the Calculation Agent, of the interest rate for the new Interest Period. The interest rate determined by the Calculation Agent, absent manifest error, shall be binding and conclusive upon the beneficial owners and Holders of the Series P Notes, the Company and the Trustee.
If the following circumstances exist on any Interest Determination Date, the Calculation Agent shall determine the interest rate for the Series P Notes as follows:
(1) In the event no Reported Rate appears on Telerate Page 3750 as of approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on an Interest Determination Date, the Calculation Agent shall request the principal London offices of each of four major banks in the London interbank market selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company) to provide a quotation of the rate (the "Rate Quotation") at which three-month deposits in amounts of not less than $1,000,000 are offered by it to prime banks in the London interbank market, as of approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on such Interest Determination Date, that is representative of single transactions at such time (the "Representative Amounts"). If at least two Rate Quotations are provided, the interest rate will be the arithmetic mean of the Rate Quotations obtained by the Calculation Agent, plus 0.10%.
(2) In the event no Reported Rate appears on Telerate Page 3750 as of approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on an Interest Determination Date and there are fewer than two Rate Quotations, the interest rate will be the arithmetic mean of the rates quoted at approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on such Interest Determination Date, by three major banks in New York City selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company), for loans in Representative Amounts in U. S. dollars to leading European banks, having an index maturity of three months for a period commencing on the second London Business Day immediately following such Interest Determination Date, plus 0.10%; provided, however, that if fewer than three banks selected by the Calculation Agent are quoting such rates, the interest rate for the applicable Interest Period will be the same as the interest rate in effect for the immediately preceding Interest Period.
Upon the request of a Holder of the Series P Notes, the Calculation Agent will provide to such Holder the interest rate in effect on the date of such request and, if determined, the interest rate for the next Interest Period.
SECTION 105. Denominations. The Series P Notes may be issued in the denominations of $1,000, or any integral multiple thereof.
SECTION 106. Global Securities. The Series P Notes will be issued in the form of one or more Global Securities registered in the name of the Depositary (which shall be The Depository Trust Company) or its nominee. Except under the limited circumstances described below, Series P Notes represented by one or more Global Securities will not be exchangeable for, and will not otherwise be issuable as, Series P Notes in definitive form. The Global Securities described above may not be transferred except by the Depositary to a nominee of the Depositary or by a nominee of the Depositary to the Depositary or another nominee of the Depositary or to a successor Depositary or its nominee.
Owners of beneficial interests in such a Global Security will not be considered the Holders thereof for any purpose under the Indenture, and no Global Security representing a Series P Note shall be exchangeable, except for another Global Security of like denomination and tenor to be registered in the name of the Depositary or its nominee or to a successor Depositary or its nominee. The rights of Holders of such Global Security shall be exercised only through the Depositary.
A Global Security shall be exchangeable for Series P Notes registered in the names of persons other than the Depositary or its nominee only if (i) the Depositary notifies the Company that it is unwilling or unable to continue as a Depositary for such Global Security and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Company, or if at any time the Depositary ceases to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, at a time when the Depositary is required to be so registered to act as such Depositary and no successor Depositary shall have been appointed by the Company, in each case within 90 days after the Company receives such notice or becomes aware of such cessation, (ii) the Company in its sole discretion determines that such Global Security shall be so exchangeable, or (iii) there shall have occurred an Event of Default with respect to the Series P Notes. Any Global Security that is exchangeable pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be exchangeable for Series P Notes registered in such names as the Depositary shall direct.
SECTION 107. Transfer. No service charge will be made for any transfer or exchange of Series P Notes, but payment will be required of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in connection therewith.
ARTICLE 2
Miscellaneous Provisions
SECTION 201. Recitals by Company. The recitals in this Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture are made by the Company only and not by the Trustee, and all of the provisions contained in the Original Indenture in respect of the rights, privileges, immunities, powers and duties of the Trustee shall be applicable in respect of Series P Notes and of this Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture as fully and with like effect as if set forth herein in full.
SECTION 202. Ratification and Incorporation of Original Indenture. As heretofore supplemented and as supplemented hereby, the Original Indenture is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and the Original Indenture as heretofore supplemented and as supplemented by this Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture shall be read, taken and construed as one and the same instrument.
SECTION 203. Executed in Counterparts. This Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture may be simultaneously executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, and such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each party hereto has caused this instrument to be signed in its name and behalf by its duly authorized officers, all as of the day and year first above written.
ATTEST: GEORGIA POWER COMPANY By: By: --------------------------- ----------------------------- Wayne Boston Allen L. Leverett Assistant Secretary Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer ATTEST: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, as Trustee By: By: -------------------------------- Nicholas Sberlati Carol Ng Trust Officer Vice President |
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF SERIES P NOTE
GPC Series P Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture.DOC
NO. __ CUSIP NO. 373334FR7
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
SERIES P FLOATING RATE SENIOR NOTE
DUE APRIL 15, 2005
Principal Amount: $_____________ Regular Record Date: 15th calendar day prior to Interest Payment Date (whether or not a Business Day) Original Issue Date: April 15, 2003 Stated Maturity: April 15, 2005 Interest Payment Dates: January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15; provided, however, in the event that any Interest Payment Date would otherwise be a day that is not a Business Day, the Interest Payment Date will be the next succeeding Business Day Interest Rate: LIBOR plus 0.10% per annum, as set on each Interest Determination Date |
Interest Determination Dates: 2nd London Business Day immediately preceding the first day of the relevant Interest Period
Authorized Denomination: $1,000, or any integral multiple thereof
Georgia Power Company, a Georgia corporation (the "Company", which term includes any successor corporation under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof), for value received, hereby promises to pay to _______________________________________________, or registered assigns, the principal sum of _________ DOLLARS ($__________) on the Stated Maturity shown above, and to pay interest thereon from the Original Issue Date shown above, or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, quarterly in arrears on each Interest Payment Date as specified above, commencing on July 15, 2003, and on the Stated Maturity at the rates per annum determined in accordance with the provisions specified below until the principal hereof is paid or made available for payment and on any overdue principal and on any overdue installment of interest. The interest so payable, and punctually paid or duly provided for, on any Interest Payment Date (other than an Interest Payment Date that is the Stated Maturity) will, as provided in such Indenture, be paid to the Person in whose name this Note (the "Note") is registered at the close of business on the Regular Record Date as specified above next preceding such Interest Payment Date, provided that any interest payable at the Stated Maturity will be paid to the Person to whom principal is payable. Except as otherwise provided in the Indenture, any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for will forthwith cease to be payable to the Holder on such Regular Record Date and may either be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such defaulted interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice whereof shall be given to Holders of Notes of this series not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or be paid at any time in any other lawful manner not inconsistent with the requirements of any securities exchange, if any, on which the Notes of this series shall be listed, and upon such notice as may be required by any such exchange, all as more fully provided in the Indenture.
The Series P Notes (as defined on the reverse hereof) will bear interest for each Interest Period at a per annum rate determined by the Calculation Agent, subject to the maximum interest rate permitted by New York or other applicable state law, as such law may be modified by United States law of general application. The interest rate applicable during each Interest Period will be equal to LIBOR on the Interest Determination Date for such Interest Period plus 0.10%; provided, however, that in certain circumstances described below, the interest rate will be determined without reference to LIBOR. Promptly upon such determination, the Calculation Agent will notify the Company and the Trustee, if the Trustee is not then serving as the Calculation Agent, of the interest rate for the new Interest Period. The interest rate determined by the Calculation Agent, absent manifest error, shall be binding and conclusive upon the beneficial owners and Holders of the Series P Notes, the Company and the Trustee.
If the following circumstances exist on any Interest Determination Date, the Calculation Agent shall determine the interest rate for the Series P Notes as follows:
(1) In the event no Reported Rate appears on Telerate Page 3750 as of approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on an Interest Determination Date, the Calculation Agent shall request the principal London offices of each of four major banks in the London interbank market selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company) to provide a quotation of the rate (the "Rate Quotation") at which three-month deposits in amounts of not less than $1,000,000 are offered by it to prime banks in the London interbank market, as of approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on such Interest Determination Date, that is representative of single transactions at such time (the "Representative Amounts"). If at least two Rate Quotations are provided, the interest rate will be the arithmetic mean of the Rate Quotations obtained by the Calculation Agent, plus 0.10%.
(2) In the event no Reported Rate appears on Telerate Page 3750 as of approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on an Interest Determination Date and there are fewer than two Rate Quotations, the interest rate will be the arithmetic mean of the rates quoted at approximately 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on such Interest Determination Date, by three major banks in New York City selected by the Calculation Agent (after consultation with the Company), for loans in Representative Amounts in U. S. dollars to leading European banks, having an index maturity of three months for a period commencing on the second London Business Day immediately following such Interest Determination Date, plus 0.10%; provided, however, that if fewer than three banks selected by the Calculation Agent are quoting such rates, the interest rate for the applicable Interest Period will be the same as the interest rate in effect for the immediately preceding Interest Period.
"Calculation Agent" means JPMorgan Chase Bank, or its successor appointed by the Company, acting as calculation agent.
"Interest Determination Date" means the second London Business Day immediately preceding the first day of the relevant Interest Period.
"Interest Period" means the period commencing on an Interest Payment Date (or, with respect to the initial Interest Period only, commencing on the Original Issue Date) and ending on the day before the next succeeding Interest Payment Date.
"LIBOR" for any Interest Determination Date will be the Reported Rate for deposits in U.S. dollars having an index maturity of three months for a period commencing on the second London Business Day immediately following the Interest Determination Date in amounts of not less than $1,000,000, at approximately 11:00 a.m., London time, on the Interest Determination Date.
"London Business Day" means a day that is a Business Day and a day on which dealings in deposits in U. S. dollars are transacted, or with respect to any future date are expected to be transacted, in the London interbank market.
"Reported Rate" means the rate that appears on Telerate Page 3750 or a successor reporter of such rates selected by the Calculation Agent and acceptable to the Company.
"Telerate Page 3750" means the display designated on page 3750 on Moneyline Telerate, Inc. (or such other page as may replace the 3750 page on that service or such other service as may be nominated by the British Bankers' Association for the purpose of displaying London interbank offered rates for U. S. dollar deposits).
Payments of interest on this Note will include interest accrued to but excluding the respective Interest Payment Dates. Interest payments for this Note shall be computed and paid on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed over a 360-day year. A "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed or a day on which the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee is closed for business.
Payment of the principal of and interest due at the Stated Maturity the Series P Notes shall be made upon surrender of the Series P Notes at the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee. The principal of and interest on the Series P Notes shall be paid in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts. Payment of interest (including interest on an Interest Payment Date) will be made, subject to such surrender where applicable, at the option of the Company, (i) by check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear in the Security Register or (ii) by wire transfer at such place and to such account at a banking institution in the United States as may be designated in writing to the Trustee at least 16 days prior to the date for payment by the Person entitled thereto.
REFERENCE IS HEREBY MADE TO THE FURTHER PROVISIONS OF THIS NOTE SET FORTH ON THE REVERSE HEREOF, WHICH FURTHER PROVISIONS SHALL FOR ALL PURPOSES HAVE THE SAME EFFECT AS IF SET FORTH AT THIS PLACE.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon has been executed by the Trustee by manual signature, this Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or be valid or obligatory for any purpose.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this instrument to be duly executed under its corporate seal.
Dated:
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY
By:
Name:
Title:
Attest:
Name:
Title:
{Seal of GEORGIA POWER COMPANY appears here}
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Senior Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
as Trustee
By:
Authorized Officer
(Reverse Side of Note)
This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of Senior Notes of the Company (the "Notes"), issued and issuable in one or more series under a Senior Note Indenture, dated as of January 1, 1998, as supplemented (the "Indenture"), between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as Trustee (the "Trustee," which term includes any successor trustee under the Indenture), to which Indenture and all indentures incidental thereto reference is hereby made for a statement of the respective rights, limitation of rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Company, the Trustee and the Holders of the Notes issued thereunder and of the terms upon which said Notes are, and are to be, authenticated and delivered. This Note is one of the series designated on the face hereof as Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005 (the "Series P Notes") which is unlimited in aggregate principal amount. Capitalized terms used herein for which no definition is provided herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Indenture.
The Series P Notes will not have a sinking fund. The Series P Notes will not be redeemable at the option of the Company prior to the Stated Maturity.
If an Event of Default with respect to the Notes of this series shall occur and be continuing, the principal of the Notes of this series may be declared due and payable in the manner, with the effect and subject to the conditions provided in the Indenture.
The Indenture permits, with certain exceptions as therein provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and obligations of the Company and the rights of the Holders of the Notes of each series to be affected under the Indenture at any time by the Company and the Trustee with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the Notes at the time Outstanding of each series to be affected. The Indenture also contains provisions permitting the Holders of specified percentages in principal amount of the Notes of each series at the time Outstanding, on behalf of the Holders of all Notes of such series, to waive compliance by the Company with certain provisions of the Indenture and certain past defaults under the Indenture and their consequences. Any such consent or waiver by the Holder of this Note shall be conclusive and binding upon such Holder and upon all future Holders of this Note and of any Note issued upon the registration of transfer hereof or in exchange hereof or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent or waiver is made upon this Note.
No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the times, place and rates, and in the coin or currency, herein prescribed.
As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Note is registrable in the Security Register, upon surrender of this Note for registration of transfer at the office or agency of the Company for such purpose, duly endorsed by, or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to the Company and the Security Registrar and duly executed by, the Holder hereof or his attorney duly authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Notes of this series, of authorized denominations and of like tenor and for the same aggregate principal amount, will be issued to the designated transferee or transferees. No service charge shall be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the Company may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.
Prior to due presentment of this Note for registration of transfer, the Company, the Trustee and any agent of the Company or the Trustee may treat the Person in whose name this Note is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, whether or not this Note be overdue, and neither the Company, the Trustee nor any such agent shall be affected by notice to the contrary.
The Notes of this series are issuable only in registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple thereof. As provided in the Indenture and subject to certain limitations therein set forth, Notes of this series are exchangeable for a like aggregate principal amount of Notes of this series of a different authorized denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same upon surrender of the Note or Notes to be exchanged at the office or agency of the Company.
This Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
ABBREVIATIONS
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this instrument, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
TEN COM- as tenants in UNIF GIFT MIN ACT- _______ Custodian ________ common (Cust) (Minor) TEN ENT- as tenants by the entireties under Uniform Gifts to JT TEN- as joint tenants Minors Act with right of survivorship and ________________________ not as tenants (State) in common |
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not on the above list.
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sell(s) and transfer(s) unto
(please insert Social Security or other identifying number of assignee)
PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING POSTAL ZIP CODE OF
ASSIGNEE
the within Note and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably constituting and
appointing
agent to transfer said Note on the books of the Company, with full power of substitution in the premises.
EXHIBIT B
CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Senior Notes referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
as Trustee
By:
Authorized Officer
Exhibit 5.1
TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
A LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP
BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
600 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E. - SUITE 5200
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30308-2216
www.troutmansanders.com
TELEPHONE: 404-885-3000
April 15, 2003
Georgia Power Company
241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Georgia Power Company (the "Company") in connection with the Registration Statement, as amended, on Form S-3 (Registration Statement Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") and declared effective by the Commission on February 13, 2003 (the "Registration Statement"), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), relating to $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company's Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023 (the "Notes"). The Notes will be issued pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998 between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as further supplemented and amended by a Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture").
We have examined the Registration Statement and the Indenture, which has been filed with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We have also examined the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company.
In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have also assumed that the Indenture is the valid and legal binding obligation of the Trustee.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and to general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity). In rendering the foregoing opinion, with respect to matters of New York law, we have relied on the opinion of Dewey Ballantine LLP attached hereto as Annex I.
We are members of the State Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of Georgia and the federal law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of New York.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the statements with respect to our name under the heading "Legal Matters" in the prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement. In giving the foregoing consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. This opinion may not be furnished or quoted to, or relied upon by, any other person for any purpose, without our prior written consent.
Very truly yours,
/s/ TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP |
April 15, 2003
Troutman Sanders LLP
600 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Suite 5200
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
RE: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to the underwriters in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3, as amended (Registration Statement Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02 ) (the "Registration Statement"), relating to $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Georgia Power Company's (the "Company") Series N 5.750% Senior Notes due April 15, 2023 (the "Notes"). The Notes will be issued pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998 between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as further supplemented and amended by a Fourteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture").
We have examined the Registration Statement and the Indenture, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We have also examined the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company.
In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have also assumed that the Indenture is the valid and legal binding obligation of the Trustee.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and to general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).
We are members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York.
This opinion is furnished solely for your benefit in connection with your rendering an opinion to the Company to be filed as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and we hereby consent to your attaching this opinion as an annex to such opinion. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or quoted to or relied upon by any other person, firm or entity for any purpose, without our prior written consent. In giving our consent to your attaching this opinion to the opinion being rendered by you, we do not thereby admit that we came within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP |
Exhibit 5.2
TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
A LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP
BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
600 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E. - SUITE 5200
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30308-2216
www.troutmansanders.com
TELEPHONE: 404-885-3000
April 15, 2003
Georgia Power Company
241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Georgia Power Company (the "Company") in connection with the Registration Statement, as amended, on Form S-3 (Registration Statement Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") and declared effective by the Commission on February 13, 2003 (the "Registration Statement"), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), relating to $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company's Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033 (the "Notes"). The Notes will be issued pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998 between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as further supplemented and amended by a Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture").
We have examined the Registration Statement and the Indenture, which has been filed with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We have also examined the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company.
In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have also assumed that the Indenture is the valid and legal binding obligation of the Trustee.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and to general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity). In rendering the foregoing opinion, with respect to matters of New York law, we have relied on the opinion of Dewey Ballantine LLP attached hereto as Annex I.
We are members of the State Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of Georgia and the federal law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of New York.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the statements with respect to our name under the heading "Legal Matters" in the prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement. In giving the foregoing consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. This opinion may not be furnished or quoted to, or relied upon by, any other person for any purpose, without our prior written consent.
Very truly yours,
/s/ TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP |
April 15, 2003
Troutman Sanders LLP
600 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Suite 5200
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
RE: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to the underwriters in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3, as amended (Registration Statement Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02 ) (the "Registration Statement"), relating to $150,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Georgia Power Company's (the "Company") Series O 5.90% Senior Notes due April 15, 2033 (the "Notes"). The Notes will be issued pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998 between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as further supplemented and amended by a Fifteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture").
We have examined the Registration Statement and the Indenture, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We have also examined the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company.
In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have also assumed that the Indenture is the valid and legal binding obligation of the Trustee.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and to general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).
We are members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York.
This opinion is furnished solely for your benefit in connection with your rendering an opinion to the Company to be filed as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and we hereby consent to your attaching this opinion as an annex to such opinion. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or quoted to or relied upon by any other person, firm or entity for any purpose, without our prior written consent. In giving our consent to your attaching this opinion to the opinion being rendered by you, we do not thereby admit that we came within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP |
Exhibit 5.3
TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
A LIMITED LIABILITY PARTNERSHIP
BANK OF AMERICA PLAZA
600 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E. - SUITE 5200
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30308-2216
www.troutmansanders.com
TELEPHONE: 404-885-3000
April 15, 2003
Georgia Power Company
241 Ralph McGill Boulevard, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3374
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Georgia Power Company (the "Company") in connection with the Registration Statement, as amended, on Form S-3 (Registration Statement Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") and declared effective by the Commission on February 13, 2003 (the "Registration Statement"), under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), relating to $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Company's Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005 (the "Notes"). The Notes will be issued pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998 between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as further supplemented and amended by a Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture").
We have examined the Registration Statement and the Indenture, which has been filed with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We have also examined the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company.
In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have also assumed that the Indenture is the valid and legal binding obligation of the Trustee.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and to general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity). In rendering the foregoing opinion, with respect to matters of New York law, we have relied on the opinion of Dewey Ballantine LLP attached hereto as Annex I.
We are members of the State Bar of Georgia and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any law other than the law of the State of Georgia and the federal law of the United States and, to the extent set forth herein, the law of the State of New York.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the statements with respect to our name under the heading "Legal Matters" in the prospectus forming part of the Registration Statement. In giving the foregoing consent, we do not hereby admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. This opinion may not be furnished or quoted to, or relied upon by, any other person for any purpose, without our prior written consent.
Very truly yours,
/s/TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP TROUTMAN SANDERS LLP |
April 15, 2003
Troutman Sanders LLP
600 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Suite 5200
Atlanta, Georgia 30308
RE: Registration Statement on Form S-3
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to the underwriters in connection with the Registration Statement on Form S-3, as amended (Registration Statement Nos. 333-102839, 333-102839-01 and 333-102839-02 ) (the "Registration Statement"), relating to $50,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Georgia Power Company's (the "Company") Series P Floating Rate Senior Notes due April 15, 2005 (the "Notes"). The Notes will be issued pursuant to the Senior Note Indenture dated as of January 1, 1998 between the Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank (formerly known as The Chase Manhattan Bank), as trustee (the "Trustee"), as heretofore supplemented and amended and as further supplemented and amended by a Sixteenth Supplemental Indenture dated as of April 15, 2003 (collectively, the "Indenture").
We have examined the Registration Statement and the Indenture, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We have also examined the originals, or duplicates or certified or conformed copies, of such records, agreements, instruments and other documents and have made such other and further investigations as we have deemed relevant and necessary in connection with the opinions expressed herein. As to questions of fact material to this opinion, we have relied upon certificates of public officials and of officers and representatives of the Company.
In rendering the opinions set forth below, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as duplicates or certified or conformed copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such latter documents. We have also assumed that the Indenture is the valid and legal binding obligation of the Trustee.
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the qualifications and limitations stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Notes are valid, binding and legal obligations of the Company enforceable against the Company in accordance with their terms (subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws relating to or affecting creditors' rights generally and to general principles of equity, whether considered in a proceeding at law or in equity).
We are members of the State Bar of New York and we do not express any opinion concerning any law other than the law of the State of New York.
This opinion is furnished solely for your benefit in connection with your rendering an opinion to the Company to be filed as Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement and we hereby consent to your attaching this opinion as an annex to such opinion. This opinion may not be relied upon by you for any other purpose, or quoted to or relied upon by any other person, firm or entity for any purpose, without our prior written consent. In giving our consent to your attaching this opinion to the opinion being rendered by you, we do not thereby admit that we came within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP DEWEY BALLANTINE LLP |
GEORGIA POWER COMPANY Computation of ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the five years ended December 31, 2001 and the year to date September 30, 2002 Nine Months Ended Year ended December 31, September 30, ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- -------------------------------Thousands of Dollars----------------------------------- EARNINGS AS DEFINED IN ITEM 503 OF REGULATION S-K: Earnings Before Interest and Income Taxes $ 1,277,565 $ 1,249,768 $ 1,158,999 $ 1,192,370 $ 1,220,654 $ 1,077,452 AFUDC - Debt funds 9,030 7,117 12,429 23,396 13,574 6,505 ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------ ----------- ----------- Earnings as defined $ 1,286,595 $ 1,256,885 $ 1,171,428 $ 1,215,766 $ 1,234,228 $ 1,083,957 =========== ============ ============ ============ ============= ============ FIXED CHARGES AS DEFINED IN ITEM 503 OF REGULATION S-K: Interest on long-term debt $ 196,707 $ 182,879 $ 164,375 $ 171,994 $ 162,546 $ 101,540 Interest on affiliated loans 0 0 0 0 12,389 8,602 Interest on interim obligations 7,795 12,213 19,787 28,262 12,693 3,074 Amort of debt disc, premium and expense, net 14,191 13,378 15,127 14,257 15,106 12,021 Other interest charges 57,623 71,536 75,868 79,396 55,175 53,427 ----------- ----------- ----------- ------------ ------------ ------------ Fixed charges as defined $ 276,316 $ 280,006 $ 275,157 $ 293,909 $ 257,909 $ 178,664 =========== =========== =========== ============ ============ ============ RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES 4.66 4.49 4.26 4.14 4.79 6.07 ===== ===== ===== ===== ===== ==== Note: The above figures have been adjusted to give effect to Georgia Power Company's 50% ownership of Southern Electric Generating Company. |